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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22873570">WATCH OVER ME: MCCREE - THE BLUFFING GAME</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joseikage/pseuds/Joseikage'>Joseikage</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>OVERWATCH: WATCH OVER ME [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Overwatch (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Multi, Sex, Theres some sexy stuff in here, Violence, Weapons</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:07:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>34,895</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22873570</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joseikage/pseuds/Joseikage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Unable to connect with anyone immediately, you feel overwhelmed and a little disheartened, until Dr. Angela Ziegler takes you on a tour of Overwatch. Upon seeing McCree practicing in one of the Training Rooms, you are in awe of his abilities, but he seems to have a strong guard up against you, coupled with an intense distrust of you. Will you be able to build trust with him, or will it fall apart?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jesse McCree/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>OVERWATCH: WATCH OVER ME [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1647736</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>WARNING! IN THIS CHAPTER ONLY - ATTEMPTED SUICIDE<br/>(I didn't want to tag it because it's just in this first chapter and I'm pretty sure it would flag across the rest)</p><p>ALSO!!! If you haven't read the WATCH OVER ME: INTRO CHOOSING A SIDE and HEROES OF OVERWATCH, you should read those first :)</p><p>I do not own Overwatch, that is Blizzard's stuff right there! But I do own this story, and I hope you enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>       I looked around the room, trying to figure out who I should ask to train with, but I was completely overwhelmed.</p><p>       Dr. Ziegler noticed and gave me a sympathetic look. “Maybe you should rest first before making such a big decision. We can give you a few days to decide, alright, (y/n)?” She suggested.</p><p>       I smiled at her apologetically and nodded. “I can just sleep on either a couch, the floor, or in the medical bay until you need it. I don’t want to be a burden,” I offered.</p><p>       “Nonsense! We’ll find a spot for you to sleep. It’s no trouble, really.” She took me on a tour of Gibraltar and showed me where everything was. There was a kitchen and dining area, a few recreational rooms, bathrooms, the sleeping quarters, and a hangar where the members of Overwatch went to build or repair things. Finally, we came to the last area of the tour.</p><p>       “This is the Training Hall. It’s where you will be able to come, with or without your mentor, and hone your skills. Athena, could you please give our guest their own profile?” Dr. Ziegler explained, speaking to some unseen entity. I cocked my head in confusion and looked around as a melodic cybernetic voice sounded over the speakers near us.</p><p>       “Right away, Dr. Ziegler. Greetings, newcomer. I am Athena, the AI Lifeform Mainframe. Welcome to Watchpoint Gibraltar.” Athena greeted me. <em>Oh... an AI.</em></p><p>       “Hello, Athena. Nice to meet you. My name is (y/n).” I called out to her.</p><p>       “Welcome (y/n). Your code is now 0001. You may change it if you would like to at any point in time by asking me.” Athena expounded. I smiled and typed in the code. “Welcome to training room three, (y/n). McCree is currently training here; would you like to join him?”</p><p>       I paused and turned to Dr. Ziegler, who shrugged and put simply, “It might be good to watch how each of us trains so that you can get a good idea of what skills you would like to learn.”</p><p>       “Yes, I will join him, Athena,” I answered the AI, and the doors slowly opened to reveal a room that was littered with training dummies.</p><p>       There had to be over a hundred inside of it, however, all except for six of them were demolished, the heads knocked clean off them. I stared in awe at the rugged cowboy who was just ahead of us. He stood in a classic gunslinger stance with his left arm bent at the elbow in front of his face. Then, after a couple of seconds, his right arm drew the pistol from his holster and faster than my eyes could register, his left, metal hand fanned the hammer of the gun and the six training dummies were shot straight in the head and demolished just as all the others had been.</p><p>       I let out a gasp of intrigue and the cowboy whipped around, fixing me with a piercing gaze. For a moment, it seemed as though he was going to turn his pistol on me next, but his look softened as he saw Dr. Ziegler next to me. Something about him looked oddly familiar, though I couldn’t place it. He walked over to us, smiled, and tipped his hat.</p><p>       “Howdy.” He greeted us. “What brings you here?”</p><p>       Dr. Ziegler smiled and replied, “I was just taking (y/n) here for a tour of our base. They were quite impressed with your display it seems.”</p><p>       I grinned and added, “You bet I was! That was hella amazing! Could... could you teach me to shoot like that?”</p><p>       The rugged Cowboy beamed proudly, spinning his gun and placing it back in its holster before replying, “It will take months, and even years, to learn how to do what I just did. Sharpshootin’ on the other hand... I could teach you if you’d like.” My eyes lit up in excitement, but I controlled myself, evenly saying,</p><p>       “I’ll have to think about it, Mr. McCree, but it does look really neat.”</p><p>       “Whoa, easy now.” He objected, raising his hands up defensively. “Either call me McCree, or call me Jesse, but that ‘mister’ stuff is too formal for me, Ma’am.”</p><p>       I nodded at him and Dr. Ziegler suddenly spoke up, “Oh gosh, it’s already time for dinner! We should all get going.”</p><p>       “I am feelin’ mighty peckish about now. I’ll walk with ya’ll to the mess hall.” It was a silent but pleasant walk to the dining area, where Reinhardt was cooking in the kitchen.</p><p>       He waved a huge hand at us as he saw us and bellowed, “Hello, my friends! The food will be ready in just a minute! Till then, feel free to have a seat and socialise.” We thanked him and sat down, joining the other members of Overwatch. Everyone was present except for Hanzo, who in the middle of dinner, snuck down to grab some food and took off back to his own room.</p><p>       McCree took the spot at the table across from me and began speaking to Genji. The two of them laughed and joked with each other for most of the dinner, even after it was served. Then, I noticed the cowboy’s dark brown eyes scanning me, his eyebrows narrowed in suspicion. I met his eyes slowly, staring back at him with a neutral expression before apologising if I was being awkward.</p><p>       The corner of his mouth turned up in a crooked grin and he replied, “You’re just mighty suspicious to me is all. Why’re you bein’ so darn quiet, anyways?” I sighed nervously and wrapped my hands around my cup of soda trying to keep them occupied so I didn’t shake like a leaf. There was something extremely daunting about the gunslinger. I felt as though he didn’t need a gun to kill me; just his eyes.</p><p>       “I—I’m just not used to... this...” I spoke up slowly. The whole room went silent as they listened to what I was saying.</p><p>       I put my hands down on the table and took a few deep breaths, calming myself down. I felt like I was in a den of wolves; an outsider looking in. <em>But then again, that</em><em>’</em><em>s how I</em><em>’</em><em>ve always felt... why is this so different? Because my life could be on the line? No... You</em><em>’</em><em>ve never cared about that shit before... why now?</em></p><p>       Suddenly, a large, rough hand caressed mine and I looked up again to see McCree gazing at me with the same piercing expression, but he softened it into a warm, smouldering look, and asked smoothly, “So, hon’ what are your skill sets? What can you do?”</p><p>       I blushed, growing increasingly more flustered at how forward he was being. <em>Is he... flirting with me...?</em> </p><p>       “I... um, I can speak several different languages and hack pretty well...” I admitted.</p><p>       “Do you speak French?” I stared at him in confusion as his eyes and tone darkened at this question.</p><p>       “Well... y-yes that is one of the languages I sp—”</p><p>       “Who are you really? Talon sent you, didn’t they? You can tell me... If you want to defect, we will protect you every step of the way, but if you choose to stand against us, you’ll get to see my shootin’ abilities in a non-friendly way.”</p><p>       “I-I’m not—” I began, stammering as I was drawn deeper into those brown eyes like quicksand.</p><p>       “Choose your next words carefully, darlin’” he ordered, bringing back the piercing gaze.</p><p>       It took everything I had to pull my hand away from his, take my eyes off his, and step away from the table. I thanked Reinhardt for the meal and left, feeling everyone’s eyes on me as I retreated. Behind me, I could hear Dr. Ziegler lecturing McCree about me, but I didn’t stop, I kept running.</p><p><em>       I need to... just leave. If Talon kills me, then fine... I</em><em>’</em><em>ll take my chances out there in the world. I can</em><em>’</em><em>t stay here though... I</em><em>’</em><em>m not welcome, and that man... McCree... he</em><em>’</em><em>s...</em> I made my choice. I headed for the hangar and looked around for an exit. <em>There</em><em>’</em><em>s gotta be some way out of here...</em> I thought to myself, rejoicing as I found the door that led to the outside. It was then that I realised this base was on an island far away from any landmass.</p><p>       “N-no...” I panicked, rushing up to the highest point of Gibraltar. Even while sprinting, it took me five minutes to climb to the top. When I opened the door that led to the roof, I ran past a beautiful garden to look over the edge at my surroundings... <em>I</em><em>’</em><em>m on a fucking island with no way off it...</em> I fell to my knees, staring off at the horizon. The sun was almost gone, leaving the sky a darker shade of purple tinged with red, orange, and blue.</p><p>       “C’est la vie...” I said aloud. I heard the sound of a gun being cocked behind me. I sighed sadly, glad I was looking at something beautiful before I died, but no gunshot rang out.</p><p>       “What the hell are you waiting for? You’ve seen a lot of death, I can tell by the look in your eyes. Killing me wouldn’t make you lose any sleep at night.” I muttered at him darkly. He huffed, and came around in front of me, shoving me back from the edge, getting on top of me, and pressing the barrel underneath my chin.</p><p>       My heart beat hard within my chest, but I fought against the instinct to survive. I was done trying. I thought that with Overwatch, I could have a family that cared about me, but I realised it would be no different here than anywhere else.</p><p>       “I’m not Talon. I don’t approve of the way they do things and treat people. They murdered my boss in cold blood and tried to kill me. They threatened me. I thought Overwatch would be different, but you seem so similar to that... Reaper guy who tried to kill me...” I pulled the flash drive out of my pocket that held the information I had hacked from Talon’s servers and handed it to him. “There... it’s the information I hacked from Talon...”</p><p>       He slowly put his gun back in its holster as he took the flash drive from me. I eased myself out from under him and walked over to the edge, looking over it. <em>If I fell now, there’d be no one who would miss me. I could be gone, and I wouldn’t be a burden on Overwatch. My struggles would be over.</em></p><p>       “If God wants to damn me for my decision, then I’ll punch him in the nose when I get there...” I muttered darkly under my breath. Then, I looked over my shoulder at McCree and declared, “I’m no good for Overwatch, I’ll only get in the way... just as I have my entire life. If I hadn’t called you guys, Reinhardt wouldn’t have hurt his head and Lucio wouldn’t have been shot in the leg like that. Let me save you the trouble of wasting a bullet. Save it for an enemy who’d be worth your time.”</p><p>       I took a deep breath and fell forwards over the edge of the cliff. As I fell, I made no sound. It would be a graceless death, I realised, as my body lie splayed out and broken on the ground at the bottom of the cliff near the water, but I didn’t care. I just wanted my fight to end. However, it was not my time.</p><p>       A strong arm wrapped around my body, gripping me and twisting me around for a better hold. I looked up to see McCree struggling to guide us closer to the cliffside. Then, he used his metal arm to grip it, and the shrill, screeching sound of grinding metal filled the air as he slowed our descent. When we reached the bottom, he put me down, panted heavily and then spun around to face me, an angry expression on his face.</p><p>       “What in the hell was that? You explain yourself, give me your information, and then jump off the god damned cliff?!” He exclaimed with surprise and frustration.</p><p>       “Why couldn’t you have just let me die?! I don’t belong here! I don’t belong anywhere!” I screamed at him, my eyes filling up with tears as I looked away from him. I didn’t want him, of all people to see me cry. “Earlier... you asked me why I was so quiet... It’s because all of you were talking together and laughing and having fun like a family... I’ve never had that before. I hoped I could find it here, but... It doesn’t look like anyone will ever trust me.” I confessed.</p><p>       He walked up to me, but I turned my face away from his, refusing to meet his gaze as he put a meaty hand on my shoulder. “I’m just surprised that with all that spirit you had when you talked about punchin’ God in the nose when you get there, you weren’t brave enough to face your life here, in the present.” He said softly.</p><p>       He then draped the red and gold poncho he was wearing over me and murmured, “Let’s get you inside. You can stay with me tonight, unless you’d rather stay with Angela or someone else.” I shrugged, hiding my face in the poncho, taking deep breaths and being oddly comforted by the scents of cigars, booze, and the smoky aftershave that emanated from it. I glanced up at McCree’s face for a moment and could see a sort of guilty expression on it as he took me back inside the base.</p><p>       I eyed his left cybernetic arm and frowned as I realised that he saved me but scratched it up in the process. He yanked it out of my line of sight as he caught me staring at it and I murmured a soft apology to him. “Don’t you worry none about that. By tomorrow, I’ll have it polished up. It’s still workin’ just fine, and besides, even if it weren’t, Torbjӧrn isn’t here right now, but his daughter, Brigitte is just as amazing as he is at engineerin’,” he declared. I nodded solemnly, and we walked along to the sleeping quarters in silence.</p><p>       When we arrived, McCree opened the door to his room, and the scents that were stained on his poncho completely flooded my senses as I stepped inside. His room was a mess. There were cigar boxes littered across the floor, empty glass bottles of Whiskey strewn around in random places, some of them broken, and clothing <em>everywhere</em>.</p><p>       I gaped at the sight and turned to face McCree. “From the sight of it, I’m not the only one who’s given up on living, am I?” I inquired, taking off the poncho and handing it to him.</p><p>       He scoffed, threw on his poncho, and narrowed his eyes at me, opening his mouth as if to say something sarcastic, but then stopped and replied, “You can have the bed tonight. I’ll sleep on this here fold out couch.”</p><p>       I looked over the bed. It was unmade and super messy, but I didn’t care, I was exhausted. At the same time though, I didn’t want to push the cowboy out of his own bed. “I mean, there’s enough room for both of us on it, isn’t there? We could just share it,” I suggested.</p><p>       The rugged man popped a cigar in his mouth, lit it, and scowled at me as if to say, “I’m sleepin’ where I can keep an eye on you and not get killed in my sleep.”</p><p>       I sighed and threw my hands up in the air. “Fine, whatever. I just didn’t want to be a burden and push you out of your own bed is all...”</p><p>       “Hmph,” he grunted nonchalantly, taking a long drag of his cigar.</p><p>       A series of posters on the wall nearest the bed caught my eye and I walked over to look at them. Several of them were wanted posters for a group called the Deadlock Rebels, but many more of them were various wanted posters for Jesse McCree. I stared at his picture for a minute and then realised where I remembered him from. A few years back, I was on a business trip to Houston when a group of unknown, armoured men hijacked the train and threatened everyone on board because they wanted something the train was transporting. McCree was the lone gunslinger who took them all out and saved the day. I had no idea in the moment what was going on, but I was thankful that everyone was safe.</p><p>       “I knew I had seen you before. You were on that train heading to Houston, Texas.” I declared, turning to face him.</p><p>       He sighed and growled, “Yep, that was me, wreakin’ havoc.”</p><p>       I shook my head wildly and objected, “Havoc? You saved all of us! There were no casualties! You saved those hostages!”</p><p>       He closed his eyes, took one last drag of his cigar, and put it out in a nearby cigarette receptacle. “Look, when bad people have power in the world, the truth gets distorted. Normal everyday people are just sheep who flock to wherever those with power ask them to. It don’t matter how much good I do, I just keep rackin’ up the bounty.”</p><p>       I looked over at the wanted poster and let out a low whistle. “That is an impressive bounty though... 60 million dollars...”</p><p>       He glared at me and warned, “Hey now, don’t you go gettin’ any ideas...”</p><p>       I snorted and began to search his room for some liquor. <em>A cowboy like him has got to have more bottles than just the empty ones on the floor. </em>I looked under the bed and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey. “Jackpot!” I hissed excitedly under my breath.</p><p>       I pulled it out, got comfortable in McCree’s bed, and then opened it up, looking over at him and admitting, “I’ve never really cared much about money. It can’t buy the happiness I don’t have.” I tossed the bottle back and took several long swigs of Whiskey, then I breathed out, a satisfied grin on my face, and locked eyes with the handsome, rugged man.</p><p>       “I know you don’t trust me, and I know you wanna keep an eye on me, but I don’t wanna be a bother, so how about this... I’m gonna get hammered off my ass on this bottle and any other bottles I find if I’m not too drunk to go searching for another once I finish this one up. You can either use this opportunity to question me and pry some meaningful information out of me, you could join me and we can get to know each other better, or you can sit there and continue to glare at me. Your choice,” I offered, patting the space next to me on the bed and chugging the bottle of Whiskey.</p><p>       He walked over and stopped me from drinking, snatching the bottle out of my hands. He stood there for a moment, sizing me up and then grinned wildly as he tossed the drink back and matched the amount I already drank.</p><p>       He let out a sigh of completion as he handed the bottle back to me and boasted, “Be warned, sugar. You’re in a drinkin’ competition with a former member of the Deadlock Rebels. I ain’t gonna lose.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Psh. I ain't spoilin' nothin'.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>EXPLICIT. Sexy things happen in this chapter. Just saiyan. Also...</p><p>I don't own Overwatch or any of the characters, that's all part of Blizzard. I just wrote this story. I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>       “Be warned, sugar. You’re in a drinkin’ competition with a former member of the Deadlock Rebels. I ain’t gonna lose.”</p><p>       I scoffed, and my voice was saturated with sarcasm as I put on a fake Southern accent and inquired, “Oh really? Deadlock... never heard of them. What were you famous for, breakin’ hearts?” I sipped the Whiskey steadily, but almost choked on it in surprise as I saw McCree laugh for the first time. <em>He</em><em>’</em><em>s cute when he lets loose like this...</em> I noted, smiling along with him.</p><p>       He then got very close to my face, raised one eyebrow, put his finger under my chin, tilted my head up, and stared at me with a dangerous expression as he informed me, “Among other things... We were the biggest weapon smugglers of the Southwest.” He let his hand fall from my chin to the bottle in my hand and took it from me, taking several sips of it. Before I knew it, we were sharing the bottle, passing it back and forth and having a good time. He seemed to forget all about being suspicious of me as he stumbled over to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey.</p><p>       “Oh man is that some good shit! You have any Fireball Whiskey?” I asked him. He held up one finger to tell me to wait before he headed back to the cabinet and brought both bottles back to the bed, along with a deck of playing cards that had an emblem of a skull on them.</p><p>       That’s when the party really started though. He taught me how to play Texas Holdem. We played several games, me spewing drunken swears at him as he won each time. When we were halfway through both the Tennessee Honey and the Fireball, McCree’s extra cards fell out of the bottom of his gloves as he shrugged in a ballsy manner upon winning yet another hand.</p><p>       “You cheat!” I exclaimed, climbing on top of him and trying to take his glove off. He laughed heartily and shoved me off as I tried my best to grab at him. Finally, I settled for stealing his hat.</p><p>       “Hey, now!” He cried out at me, but his voice wasn’t angry for once, it was highly amused.</p><p>       I struck a gun-wielding pose and yelled, “Draw!” earning a bout of laughter from him, but then he suddenly got an excited look on his face and slammed his open palm down on the bed.</p><p>       “I got it! Why don’t you and I play some Texas Hold ‘Em Strip?”</p><p>       I blushed at his suggestion and confessed, “I don’t think I’m all that good looking to be honest, so I don’t know if you’d really wanna see what’s under these clothes.”</p><p>       He shot me a sad, lonely look that was full of drunken folly, but he kindly slurred, “You look lovely! Come on now, Darlin’, join me, please? It'll be fun, and you can quit whenever you wanna.”</p><p>       I was struggling to decide between my conscience, which was telling me “no,” and the Whiskey, which was telling me, “hell yeah!” After another swig of Fireball, I made my decision.</p><p>       “Okay, Cowboy, what are the rules? I’ve never played this game before.” I demanded, teetering slightly as I tried to sit up straight.</p><p>       “Awright, since there's two of us, we'll adjust the rules a bit, so... when you lose a hand, you remove an article of clothing, but the winner takes a shot so that it balances out. Every three wins, it’s a body shot off of the loser. When you’re all out of clothin’, you can either choose to go to sleep, or get rowdy. I’m a gentleman, so that will be your decision,” He crowed proudly, giving me a tiny bow.</p><p>       “Ha! You say that like I’ve already lost. No more cheating, McCree!” I countered. He swore he wouldn’t, crossing his heart. We counted our articles of clothing, agreed on the rules for taking them off, since McCree was wearing more pieces than me, and I dealt the first hand. I quickly picked up on his tells from the previous games we had played, like when he rubbed a strand of his rich brown hair between two of his fingers.</p><p>       I won the first round, to my surprise. “Ha! Okay, good one,” he called out, flipping his poncho off of him effortlessly. I could now see more of his broad, muscular frame. I grinned at him as I took my shot, hoping I’d get to see even more of him.</p><p>       He lost the second and third rounds, much to my surprise, and I taunted, “I thought you Deadlock guys were supposed to be tough shit, McCree.”</p><p>       “Night’s not over yet,” he huffed as he took off both of his boots and socks.</p><p>       “Mouth, chest, or belly?” He asked, grinning slyly at me. I stared at him in confusion and he added, “For your body shot.”</p><p>       I thought about it for a minute and realised I wanted to be teased a bit longer about what was under his clothing. “Mouth,” I demanded, staring into his eyes and matching his smile. I picked the Tennessee Honey, handing it over to him. He grinned, took some in his mouth, pulled me tightly against him, and kissed me, transferring the liquor into my mouth. I swallowed it and locked lips with him hungrily, but he pulled away.</p><p>       “’Scuse me, Ma’am, but you still have a game to lose.” He quipped. He won the next two and lost the two after that, but on the fifth one, I folded.</p><p>       “Goddammit,” I swore.</p><p>       He passed me the Fireball Whiskey and barked, “Mouth.”</p><p>       I smiled devilishly at him, and feeling more brazen, thanks to Jack, I climbed into his lap, poured the Whiskey into my mouth and pressed my lips up his neck in a trail before connecting my lips to his and letting the Fireball flow into him.</p><p>       “Damn, Darlin’ you’re a real Mustang, ain’t ya?” He murmured huskily, his hands gliding along my hips as though he wanted me to stay there.</p><p>       "'Scuse me, Sir, but you still have a game to lose," I quipped in a Southern accent. He grinned and removed his hands from my hips, holding them up in the air. I got off him and went back to my side of the bed, taking pride in the look of astonished arousal the ole’ cowboy had on his face. I won two more rounds and then lost two rounds, but came in clutch with the final, winning it with ease. He groaned as he removed his chest piece. He was now down to five articles of clothing, versus my seven.</p><p>       “Mouth,” I demanded again for my body shot. It was even hotter this time when the slick gunslinger poured some Fireball into his mouth, shoved me down onto the bed, grinded up against me, and deposited his load into my mouth, making me wish it had been a different load that was entering me. I bit my lip as I stifled a low moan and continued the game.</p><p>       He won the next three, much to my displeasure. I took off my jacket, skirt, and shirt. All that remained for me were my leggings, my undershirt, my bra, and my panties.</p><p>       “Chest,” McCree ordered, beaming at me as he handed me the Tennessee Honey. I blushed as I pulled my undershirt down to expose my cleavage and then poured some of the whiskey into it. The feeling of the Cowboy’s warm, wet mouth and rough beard against my skin made me shudder and yearn for more. This time, I couldn’t help the tiny sigh of pleasure that escaped my lips.</p><p>       McCree’s head came up from my breasts. His eyes, dark and sultry, locked onto mine as he growled playfully, “Oh, there’s more where that came from sweetheart. You’ll find out after your last clothes fall. Lose these next four games quickly, Mustang, so I can treat you nicely.” He shot me a cocky, dazzling smile that made me even more eager to win. He dealt, and I won.</p><p>       “Shit,” McCree swore, removing his shirt to reveal his toned chest and abs.</p><p><em>       I</em><em>’</em><em>d like to thank the Gods who sculpted this fine masterpiece of a man and sent me his way.</em> I prayed silently as I gazed at him while I dealt the next hand.</p><p>       He let out a cheer as he won the next round and I sheepishly removed my undershirt, blushing as I caught McCree glancing, not as furtively as he thought, at my breasts and core. He dealt the next hand and I won it, laughing victoriously as he unclasped his “BAMF” belt and tossed it aside. I lost the next game and slowly slid off my leggings, revealing the black thong I was sporting.</p><p>       McCree let out a whistle of appreciation. “Now that is a mighty fine view! I can’t wait for it to get even better,” he teased me, flashing me a mischievous smile. That cocky smile of his faded as I won the next round. I watched his pants fall to the floor, and he climbed back into the bed. I tried not to stare at his briefs as I grabbed the Tennessee Honey.</p><p>       “Belly,” I ordered, watching as McCree lay back and poured a shot into his belly button. I came at him from the side, arching my back as I leaned in, placing one hand on his chest and the other on his inner thigh, moving it upwards slowly as I sucked the Honey off him. I felt him shiver at my contact and teased him, “Lose the next game quickly, Cowboy, so I can treat you nicely.”</p><p>       He grinned wolfishly, then sat up and barked, “Oh, we’ll see about that, Mustang. I told ya before, I <em>don</em><em>’</em><em>t </em>lose.”</p><p>       I could tell from the bulge in his briefs that he was thoroughly enjoying himself. <em>But not as much as he could be... </em>I thought, biting my lip in anticipation.</p><p>       “How ‘bout this? Since it’s only two games left, the person who wins gets to do three final body shots,” McCree suggested, smiling at me as he shuffled the cards.</p><p>       “Sounds like a plan,” I boldly agreed. Then, I lost the next round.</p><p>       I bit my lip nervously and McCree, noticing my hesitation, calmly put, “If you want to just go to bed, you can. No need to force yourself.”</p><p>       I nodded at him and turned around on the bed, my back facing him. “I just need some help... could you...?” I asked him, pointing to my bra clasp.</p><p>       He came closer to me and I could feel his warm breath on my back as he undid it, allowing me to be the one to take it off. I removed it and blushed as I turned back around, my pulse racing. In truth, I had only ever been naked in front of one man in my life before, and it was an abusive relationship that had me doubting everything about myself, including the way I looked.</p><p>       “You alright?” McCree drawled softly. To my surprise, he had his head turned away from me respectfully, refusing to look at me until I gave him the say so.</p><p>       I chuckled in surprise at how nice he was. “I’m okay but... You know, even though you’re an outlaw, you’re the most charming man I’ve ever met,” I admitted, earning a raucous round of laughter from him.</p><p>       “I have never been accused of bein’ <em>charmin</em><em>’</em> of all things!”</p><p>       He cleared his throat and looked over at me now, smiling warmly as he began to deal out the final hand. I glanced at his face furtively as I looked at my own hand. <em>My hand is alright, but it's not great...</em> I looked at his face once more and caught sight of him baring his teeth ever so slightly. I smirked. <em>Looks like his hand could be worse!</em> </p><p>       "Alright, Gangster, I'm callin'!" I exclaimed, pointing at him dramatically.</p><p>       He let out a heavy sigh and hung his head, but as he flipped over his hand to reveal a royal flush, a grin spread across his face that would make even the devil run for cover. "Ha!" He cried out in triumph.</p><p>       I flipped over my hand and shook my head. “Well, you won...” I pouted. “Good game, McCree,” I told him, slowly removing my panties.</p><p>       I blushed and turned my head away as he looked me up and down my body. Then, he grabbed the Tennessee Honey and commanded me, “Lie down.”</p><p>       I lay on my back and he slid himself between my legs, propping himself up with his elbows on either side of my stomach, and he gazed into my eyes as he poured the first shot on my belly and the second shot along my breasts. He then lapped up the first shot hungrily, running his hands along my ribs before leaning forward and sucking the second shot up. I let out a small moan, and I could feel his breathy chuckle against my chest along with his rough beard. He leaned up, poured the last bit of Honey in his mouth, tossed the bottle aside, and kissed me hungrily, grinding his body along mine. I swallowed it and met his mouth with mine roughly, wrapping my tongue around his repeatedly. I opened my eyes to look at his face and found that he was already looking into my eyes while we kissed.</p><p>       I stared back defiantly, refusing to look away, and to my surprise, he grinned into our kiss, yanked me towards him, and laid himself over me. <em>He either really doesn</em><em>’</em><em>t trust me, even while we</em><em>’</em><em>re this drunk, or he likes to watch. </em>Taking a gamble, I grinned devilishly at him and began to touch myself. I grabbed at my breast with one hand and toyed with my clit with the other, biting my lip and staring McCree dead in his eyes.</p><p>       “You enjoying the show, Cowboy?” I asked him teasingly. He didn’t answer me, eyes clouded with lust as he stared at me, but I noticed the bulge in his briefs getting bigger. I toyed with myself, rubbing harder at my clit and then using my other hand to enter myself, finding my tender spot and going hard at it. I moaned as I neared my climax, but then stopped short of it, eyeing McCree with longing.</p><p>       I grabbed him roughly, pulled him on top of me, and kissed him passionately, staring straight into his eyes. I pushed him over and got on top of him, gently easing his briefs off him and smiling at the package that lay beneath them. I sat on his thighs just below his hard cock and stretched my body across his, running my arms up his and extending myself so that my face was on his chest. There was something ferally seductive about meeting his piercing gaze, and I did it every second I could.</p><p>       I bit his right nipple, tasting it with my tongue and making sure to stare him straight in the eyes as I did it. His eyes flickered with enjoyment and the glow in them only got more intense as I shifted to his other nipple. I then kissed him down the centre of his body all the way to his cock, where I took it into my mouth and began to suck on it, drawing it in and out of my mouth slowly at first.</p><p>       I picked up the pace, and as I stared at him, I noticed his gaze softening and getting lighter; airier, as though the pleasure was beginning to faze him. I moved even faster and when I felt his cock begin to twitch with pleasure, I stopped and moved my mouth to his balls, fondling his dick with my right hand. A frustrated groan escaped him, and I chuckled under my breath as I pleasured him.</p><p>       Then, I sat atop him and declared, “Maybe the Cowboy would like to be ridden for once...” I shot him a crooked smile and pressed my opening against his cock, backing up ever so slightly. The tip entered me, but I didn’t go any further than that. My eyes were locked onto his as I grinned at him, waiting. He panted a few times in anticipation before he grabbed me and pushed me onto him all the way, beginning to pulse in and out of me. I matched his rhythm and rode him hard.</p><p>       We both were panting profusely, and I let out a moan as the rhythm was getting to me and the passion was becoming dizzying. I could feel him twitching inside of me, but I could tell he was holding back his pleasure as he groaned through gritted teeth. He grabbed at my clit, rubbing it fiercely and I let out a loud shriek of pleasure at the unexpected sensation.</p><p>       I grabbed my breasts and groped myself, remembering how much he liked to watch. I made sure to lock eyes with him, but as my insides began to churn with pleasure, it made it hard to stay focused on him. I let out a gasp of pleasure, then another, and another, as the rhythm of his dick against me, as well as his thumb on my clit, began to overtake me.</p><p>       “Mmm, yes, Jesse...almost...!” I cried out, my mind blanking as climax overtook me. I moaned loudly as the end came, unable to look at the cowboy any longer because of my incoming orgasm. A series of gasps and moans escaped my lips and I called the cowboy’s name, clenching my eyes closed. “Jesse...! Jesse...!” He pounded even harder into me now, letting out multiple groans and grunts of pleasure as he came inside of me.</p><p>       When he stopped moving, I fell against him, the two of us panting heavily. I put my head down against his chest and listened to his heartbeat and breathing as it slowed down. He wrapped his arms around me and held me there against him in a warm embrace. I let out a loud sigh as I realised that this moment had been the happiest in my life.</p><p>       “Good night, Cowboy.” I whispered to him.</p><p>       “Good Night, Mustang.”</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Backstory and hanging out with the crew!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't own Overwatch or any of the characters, that's allllll Blizzard. I just own this story. Hope you guys enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>       I groaned loudly and squinted open my eyes.</p><p><em>       Warmth... Whiskey... Cigars...?</em> I noted, taking in my surroundings. I quickly became aware of the naked cowboy holding me tightly in his arms. I scrunched up my eyes and slowly remembered our night together. <em>Ho...lee... SHIT. We actually... fuck... man...! </em>I slowly peeled out of bed, careful not to wake the gunslinger and grabbed my clothing.</p><p>       I then walked into the bathroom and took a shower, using his body wash. <em>Old Spice?</em> I chuckled at the name brand. <em>Of course, he</em><em>’</em><em>d use that... </em>I finished up my shower, dried off and threw on my clothing. I walked back into his room to find him still asleep. I looked around, mildly irritated by how messy it looked, and decided to clean it up.</p><p>       I got him some fresh clothing out of the laundry basket and laid it carefully on the bed. Then, I threw his old clothes, and any I found on the floor, into the dirty hamper. I picked up all the bottles of Whiskey and other various liquors and threw them in the trash, along with any sort of food wrappers or things that were definitely trash. Any important-looking papers I found went straight onto his desk. I laid his gun and holster on the table next to the bed and hung his hat over the bed post nearest him. I even cleaned out his cigarette receptacle. When I was finished, I stood back and beamed proudly at a job well done.</p><p>       A click sounded from behind me and I turned to see McCree pointing his gun at my head. He squinted his eyes at me and clutched his head with his left hand. “It’s me, (y/n)... don’t you remember? We drank together last night and had a ton of fun?” I reminded him, smiling at him. He groaned and put his gun back in the holster at his bedside before he got up and stumbled over to the bathroom.</p><p>       I stripped the bed of its sheets and threw them in the laundry basket and then I fell back against the bed as I waited for him to finish up. He came out of the bathroom soaking wet with only a towel around his waist and I silently praised the view as he walked over to me and demanded to know where I put his clothes. I sighed and pointed at the clean clothes I had laid out on his bed for him, giving him a prideful smile. He grunted his thanks and got dressed. When he was done, I showed him where I put his cigars and he lit one up, stared at me sadly and sighed, taking a long drag.</p><p>       “Listen... I just wanna say that I’m sorry for the way I treated you yesterday... I was hella rude and you didn’t deserve any of that. As we spoke last night, and you told me about your life as an orphan and not having family and going through all that shit during the Omnic Crisis, I realised you weren’t Talon.”</p><p><em>       Wait... I said WHAT?! I don'</em> <em>t remember that! </em></p><p>       I blushed and nodded at him, wondering what else I told him, and if I said anything morbidly embarrassing. “You deserve an explanation though... You see, I had a mentor once. Her name was Ana Amari, and she was the greatest sniper I ever knew. When I joined Overwatch’s secret Black Ops Organization, Blackwatch, I was the biggest asshole ever. Ana... she whipped me into shape. She was like the grouchy grandmother I never had, and she was fiercely caring.”</p><p>       He closed his eyes, narrowed his eyebrows angrily and took another drag of his cigar as he finished, “One day though, one of our own teammates was captured by Talon. She was tortured mentally... Many of us insisted that she stay in quarantine and get checked out, but her husband refused to let her be treated like a prisoner. Shortly after that, she killed him in his sleep and went rogue, joining Talon. You know her as that damned purple sniper, Widowmaker. During a mission, a bit later after that though, Ana and Widowmaker faced off, and Ana hesitated. My guess is that she recognised who it was behind that other rifle and couldn’t pull the trigger. Anyways, Widowmaker shot her clean in the eye. Ana’s body was never recovered... and I’ll never forgive that traitorous purple bitch for what she did.”</p><p>       The dark look of hatred gleamed in his eyes as he stared off. His left robotic fist curled and the metal grinded slightly as he clenched his fist.</p><p><em>       The Outlaw is still in him. As much as Overwatch tried to condition that darkness out of him, it</em><em>’</em><em>s still present.</em> I realised as I watched him there.</p><p>       “I’m sorry...” I sympathised, speaking softly to him. “I would have mistrusted me too, given the circumstances. You had no way of knowing if I was really Talon or not, and the way I begged Overwatch to come rescue me... made it all the more suspicious, like I was luring you into a trap, so... I get it, I really do. And...” I sighed and crossed my arms, feeling self-conscious and embarrassed as I admitted, “I’m sorry for jumping off the cliff yesterday... It’s just... I’ve been struggling with finding my place in the world for a long time, and yesterday was the breaking point. I had been attacked, then rescued and then seemingly held hostage by the same group that rescued me. It felt like nowhere was safe... I’m just so weak, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever be strong.”</p><p>       He stared thoughtfully at me, taking a couple of drags of his cigar before he demanded, “Train with me.” I widened my eyes in shock.</p><p>       “W-what?”</p><p>       “Train with me, and I’ll make you as strong as you wanna be. I’ll teach ya everythin’ I learned in Blackwatch and Overwatch, and with the Deadlock Rebels. I just have one stipulation for ya.” He told me, putting out his cigar and gazing at me with a solemn, serious expression.</p><p>       “Okay, what is it?” I demanded worriedly.</p><p>       “The next time you... feel like... y’know... goin’ back to that cliff side, don’t. Let me know. Talk to me about things. But if you ever jump off that cliff and I’m not there to pull you back up, I’ll have Angela bring you back from the brink and I’ll torment ya somethin’ awful. Ya hear me?” He narrowed his eyes at me.</p><p><em>       There</em><em>’</em><em>s the outlaw in him. But... it</em><em>’</em><em>s really sweet that he cares. </em>I thought to myself happily. “I promise, I’ll never try to commit suicide again, and yes, I would be happy to train with you, Cowboy.” He put on his hat and tipped it at me, and I chuckled, rolling my eyes at his charm.</p><p>       “Let’s go get some grub,” he started, pulling his boots on and putting his holster on his waist, “we need fuel if we’re to start our trainin’, but uh, perhaps you’d better go out with D.Va and Lena to get some new clothing today.” I realised the clothes I had on were my only clothes and nodded at him. When we went downstairs, all eyes were on us.</p><p>       Dr. Ziegler took me aside and spoke calmly to me. “Is everything alright, (y/n)? Hanzo actually came and told me that McCree saved you from falling off the cliff last night, but... when you both left the table, he seemed angry and suspicious of you. I was afraid that—” I shook my head and held up a hand to stop her.</p><p>       “No, everything is fine. Yes, he was suspicious of me, but McCree saved my life. I... was in a bad place and jumped off the cliff. McCree caught me and took me to his room for the night. He was suspicious at first, but he’s actually asked me to train with him, so I’ll be doing that from now on.” I confessed.</p><p>       I explained to her about how I just didn’t feel at home here and that I never had felt at home anywhere or had a family, but that I was hopeful I would find one here at Overwatch.</p><p>       She smiled at me and rubbed my head with her hand. “Good. I hope you find peace. It saddens me that you are training to fight, but I am glad that you will be strengthening yourself. Call me Angela, by the way.” She began to lead me over to the table but then stopped, turned and asked, “Would you care to join me, D.Va, and Lena for some shopping? I know you’re in need of new clothing, and we were going to head into Spain. It’ll be my treat.”</p><p>       I smiled widely at her and nodded. “I’d love to. Thank you, Angela.” At the dining table, I sat next to McCree and Genji, who were talking to me excitedly about McCree’s training sessions.</p><p>       As I was eating my food, Genji suddenly looked at McCree and then back at me and declared quietly, “Did you two have a fun night...?” I choked on my food and McCree had to slap me on the back.</p><p>       “Whaddya mean, Genji?” McCree grinned wolfishly with narrowed eyes and added, “Maybe your neurons ain’t firin’ right. Need a smack to set ya straight?” He raised his metal arm up and Genji raised his hands up in defeat, but then made a heart sign. I turned back to the cowboy and gave him a “how the fuck did he know,” look, but he just shook his head and shrugged.</p><p>       “If you are wondering how I knew, it’s just that he looks really happy. While he usually jokes around with me at the table, much like this, he is actually a very lonely person. Today, there is a warm glow in his eyes. I think you brought that warmth to him, so thank you for making him happy.” Genji murmured to me, too low for anyone to hear, save me and him. I nodded at him and smiled, taking what he said into consideration.</p><p>       After breakfast, the gunslinger saw me off as Lena, Angela, and I boarded Overwatch’s jet. “Hold up! I know you’re not leaving without me!” D.Va’s voice filled the air as she pushed past McCree and entered the plane.</p><p>       “Are Mei and Brigitte coming too?” I wondered aloud. She shook her head.</p><p>       “They are more focused on their work right now. Mei is working on solutions to Climate Change, and Brigitte is actually working on something for you, but she didn’t say what it was.” I eyed her curiously but then Lena interrupted us with her bubbly voice.</p><p>       “Alright, are you lot ready to roll?” She asked. We all let out a loud cheer, and I waved goodbye to McCree, watching as the door slowly closed behind us. We all talked as Lena flew us out to Spain and I noticed that Lena and Angela were both armed.</p><p>       “Did we need to bring weapons with us?” I asked aloud.</p><p>       They all turned to look at me and Angela’s face was downcast and somewhat sorrowful as she explained, “I don’t travel anywhere unarmed anymore. It’s a dangerous place for Overwatch members. While ordinary people on the street might not recognize us, there are some people who know what we look like and are actively searching for us.”</p><p>       “Yeah... there are people out there hunting down former Overwatch members and... taking them out...” Lena admitted.</p><p>       An expression of panic must have set in on my face because D.Va chimed in, “I’m sorry, we should have told you sooner, but with everything going on...” I smiled and shook my head.</p><p>       “Hey, it’s fine. Besides, I’m with you guys for better or worse.” I promised. They smiled at me and went on talking about getting me a neat outfit that matched McCree’s since that’s who I’d be training with. Before I knew it, we were in an old-fashioned shop and I was trying on Cowboy outfits.</p><p>       “Oh lord...” I said aloud, twirling around and staring at the one outfit. I shook my head and admitted, “This really isn’t my style here... I like the Western feel of it, but these colours... ugh...” Lena and Angela both nodded at me and the store clerk rushed over to the nearest clothing rack and pulled out another set of clothing that was gorgeous.</p><p>       “Try this.” She told me, handing me a black cowboy hat to go along with it. I did as she said and laughed aloud as I twirled in front of the mirror. I turned to look at the others and they gaped at me in awe.</p><p>       Finally, Angela spoke up, admitting, “You look amazing, but... also like a villain in a Western movie... Especially with that black hat.” I ran my hand across the rim of it in a slick manner and laughed.</p><p>       “Maybe it’s because I don’t know where I belong yet. I’m not a hero, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be a hero, but I’m not a villain either. All I want is to look stronger. This outfit looks intimidating as hell. Even if I’m not strong, Talon will take one good look at this outfit and run screaming.” I joked.</p><p>       “Or, they’ll have outfits that rival yours in edginess and get confused as to whose side you’re on so you’ll get the jump on them!” Lena countered. We all had a laugh, paid for that outfit, a couple more of them in similar styles, and any other clothing I needed, and we left the store. We all got our hair done too. When I saw my long hair falling around me in beautiful spirals, I smiled, feeling like a new person. D.Va did my makeup when we got back into the ship, and as we were flying back, Angela handed me a sleek, black cell phone.</p><p>       “This is from all of us. It has all our numbers in it, as well as everyone else’s numbers in Overwatch.” I threw my arms around her in a hug and she returned it.</p><p>       “Thank you all,” I told them, hugging each one of them in turn, “this is honestly the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”</p><p>       It was Lena who spoke up though and she declared, “You’re welcome, but about what you said earlier... that you’re not sure you’ll ever be a hero? I think that you can become whoever you want to be. Besides, the world could always use more heroes.” I nodded at her.</p><p>       “I’ll try my best, and whatever happens, I won’t let you down. Any of you.” I vowed, opening my phone and searching for McCree’s contact information.</p><p>       I smiled as I heard the phone ringing and McCree answer, “Who the hell is this and why do you have this number?”</p><p>       “Whoa, slow down there, Cowboy.” I calmed him. “It’s me, (y/n). Angela put all of your numbers into my new phone.”</p><p>       He chuckled and replied, “Is that so? Well then, guess we’ll be able to keep in contact across missions and things. Good. I’ll add your number to my contacts.”</p><p>       “Hey, we’ll be there in about five minutes. Meet me in the hangar?” I asked him expectantly.</p><p>       “Sure, I’ll be there.” He drawled, hanging up the phone.</p><p>       I hung up and changed his contact to “Cowboy.” I changed everyone’s contacts to nicknames.</p><p>       “Why am I Dr. Feelgood?” She asked me, laughing loudly.</p><p>       “Who am I?” Lena demanded.</p><p>       “Roadrunner.” I answered, grinning brightly at her. “I changed everyone’s names so that if my phone was ever stolen or something, it wouldn’t be obvious who you all were. Oh, and D.Va, you are Pacific Rim.” She laughed and cheered loudly, convinced she had the best name. I thought about McCree in that moment.</p><p>
  <em>       I wonder if he changed my name to Mustang on his phone... </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>404 Error<br/>This summary does not exist<br/>On account of spoilers<br/>;)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Overwatch doesn't belong to me, it belongs ta Blizzard. But ya know what does? This story. And I hope you enjoy it. Peace! :)</p><p>Sexy things happen in this chapter. You've been warned. :P</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Lena parked the jet inside the base’s hangar and the door slowly dropped open, revealing the handsome, rugged cowboy that awaited us. I walked towards him and he held his hand out to me, helping me down the last step.</p><p>     “Howdy,” I greeted him, mocking his drawl playfully. He tipped his hat at me.</p><p>     “You look... nice... Or, like you’re gonna murder me in my sleep, even. What’s with the black hat?” He demanded, eyeing me curiously. “Always with the dramatic flair, aren’t you?” I sighed and explained that I wanted to look the part of a total badass.</p><p>     “I’m not strong just yet, but sometimes all you need to do is look the part.” I said, grinning at him devilishly. He threw back his head and laughed at my childish logic, but then he smiled at me and agreed. We walked to lunch together and sat with the others, eating the sandwiches Reinhardt had made. When I finished mine, I went to the kitchen and made brownies for everyone. We all enjoyed our meal, and everyone praised the chocolate goodness I had made for them. When the meal had ended, I began helping Reinhardt with the dishes, but McCree had other plans for me. He beckoned me away from dish duty. I looked up at Reinhardt and he nodded at me.</p><p>     “Go ahead, young one, I’m sure McCree wants to do some training with you.” He told me, smiling brightly at me and patting my head. I threw my cowboy hat on and tipped it at him with a wink before sauntering off with Jesse.</p><p>     “So, are we really gonna do some training right now?” I asked him excitedly.</p><p>     He chuckled and answered me, “Yes, ma’am, we are. You ready?” I nodded at him and he admitted, “Now, this ain’t gonna be easy. It’s gonna be a lotta work. You still down with this?” I searched his piercing gaze and nodded.</p><p>     “Yes, I’m ready. I’ll learn whatever you have to teach.” I swore. He typed in the code to the training room and Athena welcomed us. The training dummies were set up, but there was also a ring in the middle of the room for sparring purposes. Over to the side, there was a weapons rack that held a large number of different types of ammunition-based weapons. I gazed at the guns and McCree put a hand on my shoulder.</p><p>     “We’re gonna start off slow. First, we condition your mind.” He explained, beckoning me over to him as we stepped into the sparring ring. He grabbed my hands in his and we stood there, gazing into each other’s eyes lovingly. There was a sparkle in them that I had seen before, and it drew me in. “Do you trust me, (y/n)?” He asked me, drawing me even closer to him.</p><p>     His head was inching towards mine and his lips were coming closer and closer.</p><p>     My eyes flickered down to them as I said, “Yes, I do.”</p><p>     Just when our lips were about to touch, McCree twisted me around, pinned my arms behind me, tying them up with a thin rope, and knocked my legs out from under me. I landed on the ground with a hard thud.</p><p>     I groaned, and McCree walked around to the front of me, crouched down, and declared, “Damn are you easy... We’re gonna have to work on that, Sweetheart. Tell me somethin’, do you really think that in a fight, or anything else really, people are always gonna play fair?” I shook my head in embarrassment, trying not to cry.</p><p><em>     He</em><em>’</em><em>s so good at manipulation though... How will I know if he</em><em>’</em><em>s lying or telling me the truth if he actually does try to kiss me? Or maybe... he</em><em>’</em><em>s been toying with me this entire time...</em> I fought back my tears, swallowing hard to keep them from falling, and stared into his eyes.</p><p>     “You have to use your head. Think about what makes the other person tick and use it against them. It could save your life in a situation where you’re unable to fight. It could help you get a better deal in a trade, or it could even help you to intimidate someone to make fighting easier on you. I’ll help you up and then we’ll try an exercise, aight?” I nodded at him but said nothing. He untied me and extended his hand to me, but I didn’t take it, and I got up on my own instead. He frowned but continued the training.</p><p>     “Alright, I’m Sombra, that girl that you out-hacked days ago. I’m about to kill you. What are you gonna say to me to get me to stop. You’ve got five seconds to make me change my mind.” He whipped out his pistol from its holster and aimed it at my forehead. “Five...” He called out. “Four...” He raised an eyebrow at me at my lack of response and then narrowed his eyes and shot me a piercing glare to show he meant business. “Three...”</p><p>     I took a deep breath and crossed my arms at him, or <em>Sombra</em> rather, and declared, “Go ahead, kill me. But then... you’ll never get back the information I stole from you.”</p><p>     “Two...” Apparently that wasn’t enough for her to not kill me.</p><p>     “Oh, and did I mention that a certain device is linked with my heartbeat, and that if I die, all of your information, including the operatives’ real names and occupations will be sent out to news media stations around the world? You do remember how good I was at hacking, right? Setting up a little countermeasure like this is just child's play,” I added, staring “Sombra” McCree down. He lowered his gun and crossed his arms.</p><p>     “Alright, what do you want?” He ordered.</p><p>     “I want to live. Send me on my way and I’ll disable the device, or you could kill me and see what happens to your little organisation. I’m sure the leader of Talon will be thrilled when he finds out that you were single-handedly responsible for giving out the location of your secret base and all Talon Operatives to everyone in the world.” McCree slid his gun back into his holster and smiled.</p><p>     “Good job. You had me convinced, but don’t slip up. The moment you drop your bluff is the moment you die, remember that.” I nodded at him and smiled but kept him at arm's-length distance from me. “Now, it’s time for some combat moves." He showed me some fighting stances and different moves I could use to disarm someone. We had been at it for several hours and I was feeling tired, but he insisted I keep going. “We’re not quittin’ tonight until you pry Peacekeeper from me.” He told me, waving his gun. He pointed it at me with his finger off the trigger and I repeatedly practiced the disarming moves.</p><p>     Each time, the Cowboy would deflect me and throw me to the ground, saying, “Bang, you’re dead. Try it again.” Finally, I tried it one last time, focusing as hard as I could on getting the form right, and he twirled me around and against him, holding the gun right up against my head. “You tryin’ to seduce me or somethin’? I know that’s not what I taught you.”</p><p><em>     That is something I could try...</em> I whirled around in his arms and faced him, trailing a finger along his neck and staring at his lips.</p><p>     “Ha... well maybe I am... Remember last night, Cowboy?” He chuckled loudly and used his other hand to toy with my hair, still holding the gun against my head.</p><p>     “Now, how could I forget that?” He murmured softly.</p><p>     “Well, you’re just like Whiskey: addictive, and with a bite to it.” I told him, biting my lip as I reached down and undid his “BAMF” belt, yanking it out of the loops on his pants in one quick motion. He grabbed my hat and threw it aside, pulling my face to his in a savoury kiss. Peacekeeper dropped to his side and I quickly took advantage of the situation, grabbing him, leaning backwards and allowing both of us to tumble to the ground.</p><p>     He lay on top of me now, kissing me heavily and grinding against me. I ran my fingers up and down his body and discovered he had put down his Peacekeeper pistol as he groped me with both hands, skin and metal, running them along my sides and up my chest. I rolled him over, grabbed the pistol off the ground, and pointed it at his head. “Bang, you’re dead, Cowboy.”</p><p>     He stared at me now, shock in his expression, but then he grinned wildly and went to take the gun from me. I got off of him and backed up. “Nope. I’m not falling for your charms anymore, Gunslinger. Admit defeat first.” I told him, keeping him at a distance so he didn’t have a chance to take it. He raised his hands up in the air and smiled.</p><p>     “Alright, you got me. Now gimme back my gun.” I tossed him his Peacekeeper and he swirled it around once before sliding it back into his holster and collecting his belt off the ground. He put it back on and I shot him a sly smirk.</p><p>     “How’s my learning curve?” I inquired. “Very good. Though, we are still gonna have to work on your fighting skills. Your bluffs are... excellent though.” There was a sort of disappointed look in his eyes, but he smiled all the same. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and McCree retrieved my hat for me, placing it back on my head.</p><p>     “Well, I know someone once said that the best lies are often the ones closest to the truth.” He gazed into my eyes thoughtfully and I smiled back, taking his hand. “Giddyup, Cowboy, or else we’re gonna miss dinner.”</p><p>     He smirked and countered, “Slow down there, Mustang, we still got time.” We walked side by side to the dining area, but I was still bothered by the thought of everything we had been through being his manipulation.</p><p><em>     He was right... I am easy... but the big question is... has everything that we</em><em>’</em><em>ve done... the Whiskey, the Strip Poker, talking calmly together and joking around... has he had some big hidden motive like... extracting information from me, or has he been enjoying himself too?</em> I wondered sadly.</p><p>     “Hey, you alright?” He drawled suddenly, tearing me away from my thoughts.</p><p>     “Hm? Yeah, I’m fine. Just... going over those defensive movements in my head. I really wanna get the hang of them soon.” I lied. He stared at me with suspicion in his eyes, and although he said nothing, I knew that he figured I was lying.</p><p>     “So, what do you think Reinhardt’s gonna be makin’ us tonight for dinner? Personally, I’m hopin’ for a nice juicy steak. Goes great with Jack Daniels.” He told me, grinning hungrily at me, and I knew he was hinting at another night of alcohol and Strip Poker.</p><p>     I smiled back at him tiredly and declared, “I was actually just hoping for some pork chops, a salad, and mashed potatoes, myself.” I wasn’t about to give into his attempt at flirting with me as he brought up Jack Daniels.</p><p>     “Hm, well here I had you figured as a steak person.” He pressed.</p><p>     “Not tonight, I’m not.” I said more sternly, meeting his gaze and searching his eyes. There was a cold, lonely expression in them, versus the spark of mischief and warmth I had seen before.</p><p>     I looked away from him and quickly said, “Well we’ll just have to see what Reinhardt made today since we’re here now.”</p><p>     “Yep.” He said quickly, walking ahead of me. I groaned as the scent of steak hit my nose.</p><p><em>     Jesus... </em>I complained internally, rounding the corner and expecting to see Jesse smiling with a wolfish grin and raising a glass at me. Instead, he was sitting there eating in silence. I sat down a few seats away from him and ate in silence as well. Genji walked over to us, stared at us and then sat down between us.</p><p>     “You know...” He began.</p><p>     “Genji, don’t say a damn thing.”</p><p>     “Genji don’t say a thing,” McCree and I griped at the same time. Our eyes met, and we quickly looked away from one another.</p><p>     I finished my food quickly, washed my plate and left the table, murmuring a brief, “Thank you,” to Reinhardt before heading off to the bedroom and taking a long, hot bath. As I lie in the tub, my mind swirled with all sorts of thoughts.</p><p><em>     Why am I so bothered by McCree</em><em>’</em><em>s attitude? It</em><em>’</em><em>s not like he</em><em>’</em><em>s always going to be manipulative, right? Just when the situation calls for it. </em>I pondered, trying to convince myself to trust the rugged gunslinger. My fingers drummed against the edge of the tub, and I sighed. <em>Still, he is part outlaw... that will never fade away. What if... what if he betrays me? What if he just toys with me and makes me feel for him, but then casts me aside when it</em><em>’</em><em>s convenient for him?</em> I bit my lip and swirled some of the bubbles in the bathtub around with my finger.</p><p>     “Hey, you almost done in there? I need to use the tub. Have some business to take care of in the mornin’. I wanna feel fresh before I leave.” McCree’s voice boomed into the restroom. I sighed, pulled the plug out of the tub and dried myself off. I quickly got dressed and exited the bathroom.</p><p>     “All yours, gunslinger.” I told him as I passed him. I walked over to the bed and climbed in, getting settled for sleep. Then, a thought came to me. “Hey, McCree,” I called out loudly.</p><p>    “Yeah?”</p><p>     “This business you have... could I come with you?”</p><p>     There was silence for a minute and then the cowboy chuckled and declared, “If you can wake up in time to catch me in the mornin’ before I leave.” I frowned at him and crossed my arms jokingly, but he just laughed and shut the bathroom door.</p><p>     Thinking fast, I climbed out of bed and raced downstairs to the hangar to find Brigitte just cleaning up her tools for the night. “Hey girl. Do you happen to have a tracking device on you? Something really small and inconspicuous, perhaps?” I asked her sweetly.</p><p>     “Yeah I have one somewhere.” She said proudly. Then, she got up really close to me, raised an eyebrow, and demanded, “What’s it for?”</p><p>     “I’m tracking down a certain Cowboy. I asked him if I could join him tomorrow because he’s taking care of some business of his, but he said if I can wake up on time. I just know he’s going to do something to keep me awake, so I wanted to even the playing field and track him down.” I explained, grinning wildly. She grinned back at me and beckoned to me. I followed her around to a secluded spot in the hangar, where a long vehicle lay, covered up by a thick sheet. She pulled it off to reveal a large motorcycle.</p><p>     “Whoa...” I breathed, taking in its beauty.</p><p>     “I was originally going to give this to McCree, but it sounds like you need it first.” She told me, showing me how to work it. It was black and red and had a golden symbol on it that was the outline of a growling cat. The exhaust pipes and wheels were replaced with hovercraft technology. “It can go on water, land, and even fly at high speeds, and it has an auto-balance feature, as well as a rider-grab system that I designed. Basically, if you fall off, it will pull you back on.” She boasted.</p><p>     I cheered silently, and she continued, “You can take this tomorrow if he leaves without you. He’ll most likely be going with Lena anyways. This hovercycle beauty of mine is just a fraction slower than the Overwatch Air Carrier, so it shouldn’t take you long to catch up. I’ll leave the keys in the back compartment. Just be careful. McCree’s business generally involves shooting.” I grinned and shot her a thumbs-up and she dropped a tiny device into the palm of my hands along with a small GPS screen.</p><p>     “Thanks Brigitte, I really appreciate it,” I told her, spinning around and rushing back out of the hangar.</p><p>     “I accept payment in chocolate!” She cried after me. I ran back to the room, slowed down my breathing and then entered casually, getting back into bed quickly as I noticed McCree still hadn’t finished his shower. Just a few minutes later, the cowboy came out of the bathroom with just his pants on and his towel hanging over his shoulder.</p><p><em>     Damn, what a sight! </em>I crooned silently, but I quickly regained my composure as he neared the bed.</p><p>     “Hey McCree... I know you have business in the morning, but it’s still somewhat early. Can you teach me to shoot?” I inquired as cutely as I could.</p><p>     “Not tonight, darlin’ it’s late for an old cowboy like me.” He said, smiling.</p><p>     “But McCree, please... you’re gonna be gone and I want to feel at least a bit safer. I’d feel better knowing even the littlest bit about how to shoot.” I pleaded, staring straight into his eyes while trying to put on the most nervous expression I could muster.</p><p>     “Oh... alright, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to give ya a quick lesson. Let’s go down to the practice rooms.”</p><p><em>     Hook, line, and sinker! </em>I thought slyly, hugging him and smiling brightly.</p><p>     He pulled on a t-shirt that had an old John Wayne poster on it and threw on his boots. Then, he eyed me up and down, smiling wickedly. “Are you gonna go in <em>that</em> though?” He asked in amusement. I was wearing a pair of PJs that had foxes printed on them along with cute slippers in the shape of a fox’s head.</p><p>     “Sure, why not?” I told him, putting my hands on my hips and raising an eyebrow at him. He threw his hands up in defeat and politely murmured, “after you,” as he held the door open for me. I tipped an invisible hat to the gunslinger and he laughed heartily.</p><p>     “Hey, now, I’m pretty sure that’s <em>my</em> bit.” He said snarkily.</p><p>     “Yeah, well looks like you forgot your hat, cowboy!” I teased him, flashing him a lurid smile. He reached over and ruffled my hair with his huge, warm hand, giving me an impish look. When we were in the practice room, he showed me the basics: how to turn the safety on and off, how to reload, how to fix a jammed gun, how to aim, and how to fire. Then, we did some target practice.</p><p>     At first, I did well since the targets were stationary, but my skill quickly declined once they began to move. I would get close when I fired, but I would still be off by a long shot.</p><p>     “Stop, lemme help you.” McCree drawled, coming up behind me. He put his body against mine and lifted my hand ever so slightly. “Pull it when I tell you to.” He told me. I watched as the practice dummy moved and swayed in front of me. “Now.” He barked. I pulled the trigger and my bullet went right through the target’s head. I gaped and looked up at the handsome cowboy, smiling brightly.</p><p>     “It’s all about the feeling. You have to make sure yer not overthinkin’ it. Sometimes your head will fool ya into thinkin’ you can’t do somethin’ when ya really can. That’s why you mostly rely on your gut.” McCree explained. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he looked down at me. He cleared his throat and stepped back from me, ending the moment.</p><p>     “You try now.” He ordered, waving a hand at me. I moved to the next swaying target and took a deep breath. I narrowed my eyes, raised my arm and fired. To my surprise, I hit the target’s chest area. “Nice shot, Mustang,” McCree drawled, filling me with pride. I moved onto the third and final target and hit that one in the shoulder, but then regrouped and shot it between the eyes.</p><p>     “That was a thing o’ beauty. Just remember that in a real shootout, there may not be much time to react. You did great tonight. Come on, now. Time for bed.” He praised, ushering me to the door. I quickly put my gun away and raced back to his side.</p><p>     “Think I can hold my own in an actual gunfight?” I asked him, striking a pose.</p><p>     He laughed heartily and then fixed me with a bright grin. “I think you’re gettin’ there. Rely on your gut but make sure you’re not gettin’ too big for your britches.” He cautioned me, putting one hand on my shoulder. I leaned into his touch. The Cowboy was charming as all hell. When we got back inside the room, I noticed his gaze on me once more, looking me up and down.</p><p>     I smiled at him and asked him in a thick Southern drawl, “What’re you lookin’ at, Gunslinger?”</p><p>     “Perhaps I’m not really lookin’ so much as I am... <em>waitin</em><em>’</em>.” He hinted. I laughed as I picked up on what he was saying and turned around, facing the bed. I then twirled around gracefully and lashed my foot out, purposefully sending my one slipper flying at McCree’s face. He dodged and grabbed it out of mid-air, shooting me a wolfish grin. I then slid my other foot out of the remaining slipper and swayed over to the first bed post, grinding against it seductively.</p><p>     I gripped it with my thighs and slipped my pyjama shirt over my head, grabbing it and twisting it around in the air over my head like a lasso, while locking eyes with the handsome cowboy. “You always gotta poke fun at me for bein’ a rancher, don’t ya?” He remarked, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms as he stood there watching with a grin. I immediately stopped what I was doing and walked up to him, swaying my hips seductively. Then, I swirled the shirt around once more and threw it around his neck, catching it on the other side and pulling his face to mine in a rough kiss.</p><p>     When I pulled away, I could tell I had the cowboy’s undivided attention now, as his eyes were locked onto mine, lit up by a spark of curiosity.</p><p>     “Doesn’t look like you seem to mind. Plus, maybe that’s what I like about you, McCree. Your humble beginnings, your accent, your manners. You’re a real Southern Gentleman, Cowboy,” I declared, walking back over to the bedpost. I spun around it with my leg and grinded slowly along it before I untied my PJ pants. I slowly stepped out of them to reveal my black thong, which went quite well with my black, lacy bra. I walked towards him, swirling my pants around my head. Then, I pulled the same trick as last time, about to pull him into me, when the cowboy caught my throw and yanked me to him, staring me down.</p><p>     “Well,” I coaxed him in a Southern drawl, “you gonna stand there starin’ at me all night like I’m a Picasso, or are ya gonna join me in that there bed?” McCree grinned and with lightning-quick speed, he took my PJ pants and used them to hog-tie my arms to my back. “Hey!” I cried out, struggling against the bonds.</p><p>     “Sorry, ma’am. I used to rope calves and stallions. A mustang like you is no match for me.” He teased, trailing a finger from my cleavage up to my mouth. I bit his finger, smiling at him and looking him straight in the eyes as I teased him back.</p><p>     “I’ll at least give you a run for your money.” I told him, dropping on all fours at his BAMF belt. I bit the belt through the loops and then grabbed it by the buckle, pulling it out of its loops and throwing it off to the side with a twist of my head. He was now very aroused. I could see it in his eyes and his pants.</p><p>     I tried to unbutton his pants with my mouth, but to no avail. I looked up at McCree with a pleading look and he undid the button, but watched me hazily, lust clouding his gaze at me as I slowly undid the zipper with my teeth and bit at the package beneath them. He quickly pulled off his pants and I beckoned him over to the bed with my head. He didn’t hesitate to jump into it, and I followed after him, slowly sliding up his body from the end of the bed, lining his inner thighs with kisses. Then, I sat on his growing bulge and grinded against him, leaning my head as far as I could towards one shoulder and biting the bra strap off of it. I did the same to my other shoulder, and my bra hung loosely around my breasts.</p><p>     I lay flat against the handsome gunslinger and grinded against him, pulling my bra down to expose my breasts. The cowboy didn’t hesitate to pull my bra over my head, but then he lay back and watched the show. I stopped grinding against him and grabbed the waistline of his boxers with my teeth, pulling them down. His length was exposed now, and I went to remove my thong when he sat up and held me back, fixing me with a devilish stare and an equally mischievous grin. “Whoa there, Mustang. Let’s have some fun, first.” He stopped me, rolling me over and placing me on my back. He removed what was left of his underwear and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it aside.</p><p>     He pulled my arms above my head and began to kiss them all the way down to my shoulders, where he then moved to my ear as he finished my right shoulder. I let out a small moan as he bit it and he chuckled and bit into my neck roughly, eliciting more sounds of excitement from me. His hands moved around my body, caressing me, and wherever they went and wherever his mouth moved, a lusty fire burned beneath my skin. His mouth found my right breast and began to bite into it.</p><p>     I squirmed as his metal fingers crept up my leg and pushed past my panties to rub against my clit. He rubbed it slowly and methodically, using his other hand to caress my left breast. Finally, unable to contain my desire, I grabbed him with my legs and pulled him to me, kissing him firmly and grinding against him. He gasped loudly and untied my pants from around my arms. I pulled off my thong quickly.</p><p>     “Told ya, I’d give you a run for your money.” I teased him, making out with him fiercely, using one hand to rub his length. His warm, Human hand found its way to my clit and he rubbed me roughly. I let out a moan as a powerful spasm rolled through me. He stopped rubbing me and put his fingers at my entrance, testing my wetness. I was more than ready for him. He grinned at me, but rather than sliding himself into me, he pounded himself in hard, jarring me and causing me to gasp. I smiled up at him, vision clouded with desire, and as I looked into his eyes, I could see the outlaw in him coming to life. He thrust slowly back and forth, biting me along the side of my neck. I ran my hands through his hair and bit my lip as the pleasure built up inside of me. Then, McCree started to go faster and faster, building me up for a big climax.</p><p>     I let out a gasp of pleasure and moaned, “Harder, cowboy,” as he pounded into me, and he obeyed, going deeper and harder, and adding to the pleasure I was feeling.</p><p>     “Almost...” He groaned, going even faster now.</p><p>     “Same here,” I acknowledged, leaning forward and whispering, “ride me hard, Rancher” as I bit into his ear. That did it. He went wild, riding me like there was no tomorrow. My insides churned and pulsed, and I could feel him throbbing inside of me as well. Finally, I tilted my head back as a series of gasps and moans escaped me. I took pleasure in hearing the groans that escaped him too as he came inside of me.</p><p>     His warmth filled me and when he was finished, he lay next to me and murmured, “Damn, Mustang, you really <em>did</em> give me a run for my money. Oh boy, it’s late too. Hopefully I’ll wake up on time to take care of my business out on Route 66.” I snuggled up against him and a strange look came over his face. It was hesitant; unsure of things. He shrugged me off of him and lightly objected, “Come on, now. I have to get to sleep. Stop bein’ so cute. It’s too hot right now to cuddle up.”</p><p>     <em>It's like he's afraid of getting too close to me...</em></p><p>     “Fine,” I pouted, pursing my lips. I kissed him on the cheek and rolled over. “Sleep well, Cowboy.”</p><p>     He chuckled heartily and murmured, “You too, Mustang.”</p><p>     When he was finally asleep, I crept out of bed and placed the tracking device inside of his hat, turning it on with a click. It was so small that he wouldn’t see it or feel it, and I cheered silently as I put his hat back over the bed post and got back into bed.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>NOPE NOPE NOPE! No spoilers!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I do not own Overwatch. It belongs to Blizzard. Only thing I own is this here story and I hope it entertains ya.</p><p>DISCLAIMER: Violence, Death, Blood, some PTSD/Shock elements.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     The next morning, McCree was gone, and his spot in bed was cold. I checked the time. It was six in the morning.</p><p><em>     He couldn</em><em>’</em><em>t have gone out much earlier than that, right?</em> I wondered, getting out of bed, taking a quick shower, and getting dressed in my outfit. I ran my hand along the rim of my black hat and smiled in anticipation of being able to ride the hi-tech hovercycle that Brigitte had built. I ran down to the practice room and took the gun I had used for practice, along with a holster, and equipped them. Then, I turned on the GPS screen to see his coordinates. He was currently flying, and it looked as though he was headed for a spot out on Route 66.</p><p><em>     That</em><em>’</em><em>s right... he did say he had to go there.</em> I recalled as I rushed down to the hangar and pulled the sheet off the gorgeous hoverbike. I got the keys out of the back of the vehicle, opened the hangar for take-off, and started the bike up.</p><p>     “See ya later, y/n!” Brigitte called to me from behind. I turned around and grinned at her, waving my hand nonchalantly in a quick farewell as I took off towards the GPS coordinates. The place McCree had stopped at briefly was an old Saloon. I parked my bike just a little way off the road, where it was out of sight, and marched up into the small, country bar.</p><p>     “I’ll have a whiskey and any information you have about McCree. I know he was just here,” I drawled in my best Southern Accent, sliding a twenty to him across the table. The man finished wiping out a glass and set it in front of me, pouring me some Jack Daniels.</p><p>     I gulped it down and the man murmured, “All I know’s that McCree is seein’ the Deadlock Rebels about some unfinished business. Up the road a ways, but you didn’t hear that from me, now, understand?”</p><p>     “Understood. Thanks for the info that I never heard,” I told him, tipping my hat to him as I walked out of the bar. I rode my bike up the road and pulled it off to the side as I spotted McCree further ahead. I hid the bike well and ran up the road, trying to blend in with the scenery as I spied on the rugged Gunslinger. I came up to hide behind a rusty, broken-down car, and as I peeked out from behind it, much closer now, I realised he was talking to a beautiful woman with blindingly-white hair and stunning red eyes. She held a rifle in a relaxed manner along her shoulders, and the two of them appeared to be flirting with each other.</p><p>     I fumed silently, watching their encounter, unaware of the man who had come up beside me. “He sure has a way with words, don’t he?” He asked me, grinning wildly.</p><p>     “Yeah, really. That man’s got the devil’s tongue. Who is <em>she</em> though?” I inquired.</p><p>     “Wait, you’re not one of us?” He asked.</p><p>
  <em>     Uh-oh...</em>
</p><p>     "Oh, you’re one of the Rebels! No, I’m not, but I came because I was curious. I heard a rumour that McCree was settlin’ some scores with the Deadlock Rebels, and I wanted to see how Deadlock would handle it. I’m rootin’ for ya’ll. I’ve always admired the Rebels, to be frank. Is she your leader?” I quietly asked, keeping my Southern accent.</p><p>     “Yep! That there’s Elizabeth Caledonia "Calamity" Ashe, but we all call ‘er Ashe though. She’s like a sister to us. The Deadlock Rebels are a tight-knit family. Ashe keeps us together and helps us make bank.” The man explained, but then his voice became more sombre as he added, “McCree used to be one of us, but he betrayed us and went to go work for some fancy company that saves the world or some shit. He let several of us rot in prison while he got to live the high life. You’d best believe we’re gonna kill ‘im for all he’s done. There’s only one way to leave the Deadlock gang...”</p><p>     I watched as the man pulled out a gun and cocked it, aiming it straight at McCree. I pulled out my own gun and hit him hard on the head, knocking him unconscious. Unfortunately, that knock on the head also drew both McCree and Ashe’s attentions to me.</p><p>     “Howdy,” I greeted them, waving sheepishly at them. McCree sighed and turned to Ashe, grinning wolfishly as he shoved a cigar in his mouth and lit it up.</p><p>     “Now, Ashe... how’d I know you were gonna try to surround me like this?” He bantered.</p><p>     “Ha! Whaddya mean, <em>'</em><em>try'?</em> Out you come, boys!” She cried out, calling forth all of the Deadlock members to come out of their hiding spots, minus the one I had knocked unconscious. There were eight of them in total, plus a huge Omnic. “McCree, you can either apologise here and now and I’ll forgive you for all of your misdeeds against us and let you re-join, <em>or,</em>” Ashe slung her gun down from its relaxed position and aimed it straight at him, “I’ll blow your goddamned head off here and now.” She finished, gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes at him.</p><p>     “Alright Ashe,” He began, taking a huge drag of his cigar and putting it back in the corner of his mouth, “I’m sorry...” My jaw dropped in shock, and Ashe mirrored my expression.</p><p><em>     This is so unlike him... </em>I thought to myself, watching as Ashe lowered her gun slowly.</p><p>     Suddenly, the cowboy’s eyes were lit up with mischief and he quipped, “I’m sorry I didn’t leave sooner.”</p><p><em>     There it is...</em> He threw a flashbang at her feet and forward-rolled over to join me behind the beat-up car I was hiding at.</p><p>     “How the hell did you manage to get here? No, how did you even know where to find me?” He demanded, pulling out his gun and cocking it.</p><p>     “A kind, badass Swedish engineer let me borrow a tracking device and her hovercycle,” I proudly proclaimed, pulling my own gun out.</p><p>     “No fair! I’ve been wantin’ to ride that thing for months! How is it?” A shot rang out and hit the car we were hiding behind. “On second thought, let’s save that conversation for later.” Then, he turned to me with a serious expression on his face and instructed me, “You shoot to kill, understand me? The Deadlock Rebels might look like a gangly bunch, but they are dangerous as all hell. Don’t take any chances and don’t try to be a hero, got it?”</p><p>     I nodded, but my stomach was bunching up at the thought of having to actually shoot someone. He noticed my hesitation and changed what he said.</p><p>     “Hey, I need you to watch my back, okay? If someone tries to come around for me, I need you to help me out. The chances of that happening are slim, but please, take care of me and get me home safely, alright?” He urged me, smiling brightly. “Lay down some cover fire for me. I’m gonna try to sneak around.” I took a deep breath and jumped up, firing my gun rapidly at the Deadlock Rebels as McCree snuck around to another dilapidated car. He snuck from the car to a rock, and I laid down more cover fire, ducking quickly as a bullet whizzed past my cheek.</p><p>     Then, I saw him. The guy I knocked out was getting up. He looked over at McCree and raised his rifle, poised to shoot. Without hesitation, I reacted. A bullet rang out and pierced the man in the chest. He froze and fell to the ground. I ran to him, applying pressure.</p><p>     “I’m s-so s-s-sorry... I’m r-really s-sorry... You were trying to kill my f-friend and I—” I stammered to him, trying to apply pressure to his wound.</p><p>     “Hey now," a bout of rattling, watery coughing interrupted him and he continued, "I never... heard of a woman apologizin’ after shootin’ a man. You must be one o’ a kind.”</p><p>     The gang member coughed again, and blood came out of his mouth. He grabbed my arm weakly. “Don’t apologise for this. It’s a fittin’ end for a Rebel like me. We knew what we signed up for. Don’t hold it against yourself. In this world...” He was struggling to breathe, and a cloudy film was beginning to cover his eyes. “...it’s you or... them...” He finished, taking his final breath.</p><p>     I sat there, deaf to the world around me. All I could do was take my hands off the man’s chest. I looked down at them.</p><p><em>     Covered in blood. His blood. Will it wash off? Should it? I killed a man today. Didn</em><em>’</em><em>t mean to, but it happened. What should I feel? I feel guilty as all hell, but he was trying to shoot Jesse... Jesse... What will he think? He saw it happen... Oh god, he saw me kill someone...</em> Suddenly, McCree was at my side, holding my hands and looking me straight in the eyes.</p><p>     “Hey, you saved my life. Now, I need you to do it again. Go and get the Hovercycle and bring it round here. Can you do that?” He asked me. I nodded absentmindedly, and he barked out my name, jarring me from my thoughts. “I asked you if you could bring the Hovercycle ‘round.”</p><p>     “Yeah, let me... go get it.” I stood and stumbled, racing over to the spot where I had parked the hi-tech bike. I started it and drove it to where McCree was, and he climbed on behind me, held me with one hand and drove the bike with the other. We zoomed away, dodging the bullets that rained down on us. We finally came to a crack of some sort; a cave inside of the canyon.</p><p>     McCree parked the bike and helped me to the ground before sitting down and gathering some sticks together that were inside the mouth of the cave. He lit up a cigar and used his lighter to spark a flame round the sticks. Soon, a small fire was dancing around between us. He pulled a canteen off of his utility belt and washed the blood off my hands. Though it was gone, I could still see it. We both sat back and stared off into the fire.</p><p>     Silence flowed between us, but soon, McCree cut into it.</p><p>     “Y/n, you saved my life today...” He told me, taking a long drag of his cigar. He offered it to me but I shook my head. “If you hadn’t shot him, I wouldn’t be here with you.” He sighed deeply and continued, “The folks with the Deadlock Rebels aren’t... <em>completely</em> bad people, but they ain’t exactly good, neither. I left the gang long ago, so I have a target painted on me whenever I go out to Route 66. Hell, whenever I go out period...” He pulled a crumpled up Wanted Poster out of his pocket that had his likeness on it. It matched the one I saw in his bedroom.</p><p>     “There’s still a bounty out on me. I thought workin’ with Overwatch would earn me my freedom, but it seems the world ain’t as forgivin’ as I thought.” He took another long drag of his cigar and waved his hand nonchalantly. “Anyways, my point is that you learned a harsh lesson today that most people never learn. I almost wish you hadn’t learned it just yet, but it happened. You learned that shootin’ isn’t fun and games. The moment you put your finger on that trigger, you have to be aware that there’s a consequence for your actions. What you’re feelin’ is normal, y/n. That gut-wrenchin’ guilt is what you’re supposed to feel after killin’ someone. If you didn’t feel it, you wouldn’t be Human.” I looked into his eyes now and saw sadness there, though there was also an unmistakeable warmth within them.</p><p>     “What about you?” I pressed.</p><p>     “Me? I’ve killed many people,” he gloated, trying to keep his bravado intact. Then, he sighed as he realised that pride wouldn't help anything. He stared off thoughtfully and explained, “People say that it gets easier the more you kill, but... the people who say that tend to be monsters... That Reaper guy you fought from Talon and the Widowmaker? Both terrible monsters. They kill for sport. I kill to protect the ones I care about and to make the world a better place.”</p><p>     He shuffled uncomfortably and there was a look of sorrow in his eyes as he admitted, “I can’t tell you how much guilt I’ve racked up. I... used to be a monster, you know... No better than anyone at Talon. Back when I was one of the Deadlock Rebels, I did terrible things. I killed people just for lookin’ at me the wrong way. I was young and incredibly stupid... a true outlaw who had very little honour. Out of all the people I’ve killed, there were twenty-four who didn’t deserve it. Bank workers, Officers, Vigilantes who tried to stop me from committin’ crimes... I was a terrible person back then, and I’m still atoning for my mistakes. It was my mentor, Ana, who wouldn’t give up on me. She set me straight and taught me right. Before her, I never had any sort of real role model to look up to.”</p><p>     McCree walked over to the opening of the cave and poked his head out. “Looks like it’s gettin’ too dark to head back... Let’s hunker down here. I’ll catch us some dinner and we’ll head out in the mornin’.” He told me, walking out of the cave.</p><p>     “Hey McCree,” I called out.</p><p>     He poked his head back in. “Hmm?”</p><p>     “I’m sorry... I know Ana meant a lot to you.” I sympathised, taking off my hat. He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around me in a warm hug.</p><p>     “Thank you, and don’t worry. Everythin’s gonna be just fine, y/n.” He comforted me. Then, he walked out of the cave. Not long after he left, I heard two gunshots. I grabbed my gun and held it at the ready, finger off the trigger. Suddenly, he walked into the cave, holding two big rabbits.</p><p>     “We got lucky tonight! Lookee what I just wrangled up!” He exclaimed, grinning from ear-to-ear.</p><p>     “We’re gonna eat... Thumper?” I asked, completely horrified.</p><p>     “Well, you eat Ferdinand, don’tcha? So, what’s wrong with a little Thumper?”</p><p>     I laughed at his remark, and inquired in disbelief, “Wait, you know the story of Ferdinand the Bull?”</p><p>     He smiled in reminiscence and declared, “You bet I do. That was one of my favourite stories as a kid. Our teacher read it to us a lot. I couldn’t believe that a bull would want to sit peacefully under a tree and smell flowers, rather than fight.” He chuckled and added, “In a way, I sort of envy him. He got to stay there peacefully his entire life and avoid any conflict. One day, I hope to be just like him. Maybe when I’m old and grey.” I now gazed at him in a new light. He wasn’t just a simple cowboy to me. He was a Soldier, a Ranger, and he wouldn’t be done fighting until the world was safe, though for now, he was cooking us rabbits and making small talk.</p><p>     Before, I had just talked with him or teased him, but right now, this felt real. The entire talk felt like more than just a fun time. He took a knife out of his back pocket and skinned and gutted the rabbits. He then constructed a small spit out of sticks like he was MacGyver or something. As he set up the rabbits to cook and began to turn them slowly, I scooted close to him and laid my head on his shoulder, wrapping my arms around his muscular right arm.</p><p>     He chuckled, raised one eyebrow, and demanded, “Why’re you getting’ so snuggly all of a sudden?” I shrugged and let go of him and he quickly added, “I didn’t say it was a bad thing, I was just wonderin’.” I smiled and put my arms around him once more, sighing heavily as I thought about what McCree meant to me.</p><p>
  <em>     He's</em>
  <em> done this manipulating shit with me several times. I can't</em>
  <em> tell when he's</em>
  <em> being sincere about his feelings towards me...</em>
</p><p>     “You alright?” McCree suddenly asked me.</p><p>     “Oh!” I exclaimed, snapping back into reality. I nodded quickly, and he frowned and set his gaze on the rabbit, making sure it didn’t burn.</p><p>     “Well... just know that you don’t have to be. It’s okay to not be alright sometimes.” He soothed me, taking the first rabbit off the spit and handing it to me. He murmured a quick warning about it being hot and then put the second rabbit on the spit. I waited for McCree’s rabbit to finish cooking and we ate ours together. The taste was actually pretty good! It tasted somewhat like chicken but had a stronger taste to it and was a bit drier.</p><p>     “Thanks for dinner tonight, McCree.” I said graciously, smiling at him as I took another bite of rabbit.</p><p>     As I stared into the fire, the events of the day caught up with me and my mind flooded back to when I killed that one Deadlock Rebel. My pulse sped up and I looked down at my hands to see the blood that had been washed off. “It’s still there...” I murmured under my breath.</p><p>     “Pardon?” McCree asked me worriedly. I blinked, and the blood was gone. I took a few deep breaths and my pulse slowed down.</p><p>     “N-nothing. M-maybe it’s time for bed. It’s just... been a long day.”</p><p>     “Mm-hmm.” McCree took the rabbit from me and threw it out of the cave along with his. He then put out the fire and lie next to me. “Goodnight, y/n.” He murmured.</p><p>     “Goodnight, Jesse.” I answered, falling into an unsteady sleep. My rest was riddled with harsh nightmares. In the first dream I had, I became a bloodthirsty monster who killed everyone from Overwatch and then McCree. Then, that dream faded into another dream. I looked down at my hands to see that the blood from the Rebel Man was still on them. I washed them off and scrubbed at them, but the blood began to spread, coating my body and burning it wherever it went. I began to scream as the pain overtook me.</p><p>     Suddenly, there was a warmth. Not a burning warmth, but a nice one. It gently roused me awake. Beads of sweat were lining my forehead as I awakened, but the thing that caught my attention was McCree. He had snuggled into me and was holding me gently in his arms.</p><p>     “It’s alright, y/n. Everything’s fine.” He promised. “It was just a nightmare. Go on back to sleep.” Tears welled up in my eyes. In that moment, I was so thankful for him. I had never had anyone who held me like that and comforted me in my times of need.</p><p>     I smiled in realisation as I figured out, <em>He</em><em>’</em><em>s my Ana... My mentor.</em> I sighed and thought about what more he meant to me, but it was lost as I drifted back to sleep, the warmth from McCree’s body lulling me into a state of safety and comfort. The next morning, McCree gently woke me up. I opened my eyes to see him kneeling over me, smiling at me warmly. He extended his arm to me and I took it, smiling back at him.</p><p>     “Come on, Mustang. I want to show you one of my favourite spots.”</p><p>     After he helped me up, I followed him, watching as he picked up the Hovercycle and led it out of the cave.</p><p>     “Where are we going?” I inquired as I got on the bike.</p><p>     “That there’s top secret. I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill ya.” He grinned wolfishly and flicked the tip of his nose with his thumb. I scoffed and shook my head, letting out a giggle of amusement as he climbed on in front of me and started up the bike. We rode for about five minutes, the cacti, rocks, and dead-looking trees all blurring together as we sped by. Finally, we came across a stretch of canyon that looked pretty bare, except for a rock that looked like a six-shooter pistol.</p><p>     McCree parked the bike near the rock and turned it off, reaching his hand out to help me off the bike. I took it and stepped off, following him into another cave, much like the one we spent the night in. Only, this one was special. The moment we stepped into the cave, it was dark, but as soon as we rounded the corner, the cave lit up like lights at Christmastime. I let out a gasp of astonishment. Both the floor and the ceiling were awash with lights of different colours. I spotted many different types of ores and jewels across the cave.</p><p>     “McCree... those are—” I began, completely in awe of the sight before me.</p><p>     “Jewels? Yeah, I know.” He told me, grinning brightly. “I found this place years ago, back when I was still on the ranch. It was my hideout...” He stepped forwards, took of his hat and poncho, and began to take off his chest armour.</p><p>     “Wh-what are you doing?” I demanded. He chuckled.</p><p>     “It’s not like you to get so flustered, Mustang. I’m goin’ for a swim! Look closer, it’s an underground lake.” He explained, leaning over and dipping a finger in the water. The water ripples moved the lights on the ground, and I realised the lake was reflecting the ore in the ceiling.</p><p>     “Yeah, this cave has a ton of Calcite in it. It's phosphorescent and it glows brightly for quite awhile after the sun goes down, lightin’ up all the other gems in here.” I started taking off my clothes too. He finished undressing and waded into the lake. “Whoo! It has a bit of a bite to it, but it’s not bad! Come on in!” He exclaimed.</p><p>     I waded in after him, shrieking at how cold it was. He laughed at me and teased me saying, “I guess Mustangs ain’t used to the cold, are they?” I splashed him hard, making sure the water hit his chest and neck. He let out a yelp and splashed me back. Our water war went on for awhile until he grabbed me and playfully dunked me in the water. I tried to do the same to him, but he was too sturdy.</p><p>     “Hey, no fair!” I yelled jokingly. He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders playfully before diving down, swimming back up, and running his fingers through his hair. He smiled brightly, and I relished in the view.</p><p>     I cleared my throat and put on my Southern drawl, saying, “My, my, Jesse! You look as giddy as a schoolboy right now!”</p><p>     “Shoot, Mustang, I guess I am.” He declared, grabbing me into his arms and leaning up against the edge of the lake. I snuggled against him, our bodies sharing their warmth, fighting off the cold of the lake water.</p><p>     There was a peaceful silence, which I broke, jesting, “Hey, cowboy. You sure your name isn’t Jesse James? He had underground rivers and hideouts like this, too.” He let out a snort of laugher.</p><p>     “Ha! I’m surprised anyone remembers who that is anymore!” He exclaimed in awe.</p><p>     “He was one of America’s most famous outlaws though! He wreaked more havoc than almost anyone else. Besides, when I was younger, I loved hearing stories about outlaws. Especially, outlaws and Texas Rangers.” I admitted.</p><p>     “But then again... I’m an old soul. I guess there aren’t many people like me left though, huh?”</p><p>     The old cowboy chuckled and stretched his arms, yawning loudly before he replied, “No, there sure ain’t. That’s one thing I admire about you though, Mustang.”</p><p>     Curiosity tugged at me and I inquired, “Hey, what was your business with Ashe, anyways?”</p><p>     McCree shuffled a little and then responded, “Honestly? I was tryin’ to recruit her for Overwatch. Get her to turn over a new leaf and put the past behind her. With Talon on the rise, we need all the allies we can get. Dunno what I was thinkin’ though. Damn foolish of me. She’s stubborn as a Mule.” I nodded and lie against him for a little while longer, almost falling asleep against him as the water lapped gently at my skin. I now wondered what he really thought of me, or rather <em>how</em> he thought of me.</p><p><em>     He spent some time manipulating me and training me to resist manipulation, but... how do I know what</em> <em>’</em> <em>s real and what</em> <em>’</em> <em>s a lie? Does he care deeply for me, or is that just the way he acts? </em></p><p>     “We should probably get back to the base, but first, I need to ask you something...” I began carefully, standing up and gazing into his eyes.</p><p>     “Shoot,” he told me, smiling warmly. “Well, I just want to make sure I’m understanding things right, but... you’ve been flirting with me quite a bit and you call me a pet name, Mustang, but you’ll also have moments where you share things with me that are really deep and profound. I was just wondering how—”</p><p>     “Holy cow, Mustang, we need to get goin’! It’s already past noon!” He exclaimed, climbing out of the lake and beginning to shake himself dry. I frowned and sighed deeply.</p><p><em>     Did he just... avoid my question? He knew that I was going to ask about how he really felt about me! </em>I climbed out of the water, wringed my hair out, and pulled my clothes on, griping at myself internally for being so awkward. Then, McCree and I climbed onto the Hovercycle and took off towards Gibraltar.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't own Overwatch, it is the property of Blizzard. I own this story though! Hope you enjoy!</p><p>DISCLAIMER: sexy things happen in this chapter</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     It was a quiet ride there. Neither of us said a word to each other, and the awkwardness was overpowering. I wanted to let go of McCree’s back, but couldn’t since we were going so fast. When we got back to Gibraltar, it was 12:33 in the afternoon and everyone was still eating lunch. I barely touched it though, too upset at the events that took place out on Route 66. Without saying a word, I pushed my plate away and stormed off, heading to McCree’s room to take a nap. My thoughts were racing now, and everything was really catching up to me. My heart pounded in my chest and all I could see was the image of the Deadlock Rebel falling over after I shot him dead in the chest. I could see the blood pooling on his chest and coming out of his mouth.</p><p><em>     He said he didn't, but he must have blamed me. He must have. Even though he told me not to feel bad for him. He must have hated me for killing him. I</em><em>’</em><em>m a terrible fucking person. I don</em><em>’</em><em>t deserve to live...</em> I thought about McCree and our promise and knew that I shouldn’t be having those thoughts, but they pushed forward to the front of my mind faster than I could suppress them.</p><p>
  <em>     Why should I keep my promise to McCree? He'</em>
  <em>s just a big flirt anyways. He'</em>
  <em>ll never truly care for me. He does whatever he wants and doesn'</em>
  <em>t care how it affects me.</em>
</p><p>     “No... that’s not... true... He <em>does</em> care. He held me when I had my nightmares and he made sure I was okay. He has to care about me then, right?” I countered myself aloud. I focused on my breathing, struggling to calm myself down, and eventually, my heart slowed, and my thoughts quieted.</p><p>     I curled up on the bed and quickly fell asleep, exhausted from fighting myself. I found no solace in sleep though as violent nightmares assaulted me. I jolted upright, a scream erupting from my throat. I could feel the sweat pooling on my forehead. My heart felt like it was going to leap out of my chest. I was trapped inside my own nightmare, drowning in blood. I reached out, flailing my arms, trying desperately to grab onto anything I could.</p><p>     Suddenly, McCree’s muffled voice reached my ears. “...” The first thing he said was unintelligible. “...here Mustang.” I spun my head around back and forth, trying to tell where his voice was coming from. “Y/n, I’m here. Come back to me.” I could hear his voice clearly now, and I blinked my eyes, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I could now see the room in front of me.</p><p><em>     I</em><em>’</em><em>m not... in a dream...? Not... drowning in blood...?</em> I thought to myself as I completely woke up, panting heavily as I tried to calm myself down. I quickly became aware of McCree’s warm body against my own and pushed him away, tears forming in my eyes.</p><p>     “Get off! Just stop pretending!” I cried, getting up and rushing out the door. He called after me, but I didn't stop. Lost, scared, and unsure of anything anymore, I ran to the one place where I knew I could find some peace.</p><p>     Tears ran down my face as I raced up to the top of Watchpoint Gibraltar. When I got there, I sat up on the roof, watching the sun sink in the sky. Not too long ago, I wanted to jump off that same roof and end it all. It was McCree who saved me from that. I stared out at the horizon and thought about why he did it.</p><p><em>     It</em><em>’</em><em>s because he</em><em>’</em><em>s a good man. He couldn</em><em>’</em><em>t bear to see a woman die. When he saved me, he had no ulterior motives, but afterwards... </em>I thought about how easily he ensnared me back in the practice room, how he had tried to seduce me back at the dinner table that one day before I jumped off the cliff, and how he had been extremely flirtatious with me in general. Then, I thought about the sincere moments we had together, where he shared a part of him with me.</p><p><em>      Were any of those more tender moments even real? What</em><em>’</em><em>s even real with him, anyways?</em> I threw a rock over the side of the cliff and had the sudden urge to follow it. I clutched my head tightly and drove out the thought.</p><p><em>     I need to honour my promise to McCree... I swore I wouldn</em><em>’</em><em>t. Please... stop... I can</em><em>’</em><em>t stay here if I</em><em>’</em><em>m going to be thinking about this...!</em> I got up, still clutching my head, and turned around to leave, but stopped, gaping at the man standing before me. McCree was standing there, watching me with worry written on his face. I tried to play things cool.</p><p>     “Relax, Cowboy... I wasn’t gonna jump. I just wanted to watch the sunset and think about things, alright?” I told him as I walked past him. He grabbed me gently by the shoulder to stop me.</p><p>     “What’s really on your mind, Mustang?” He asked me with a patient expression on his face. The way he acted like he cared upset me. I didn’t know what to trust from him, and I needed to know how he felt about me.</p><p>     He scanned my eyes, searching for something in them and I asked him suddenly, “A few days ago, you seduced me to prove a point and teach me a lesson in the practice room. We’ve also had... several passionate moments together. I thought maybe you just wanted to flirt with me and that’s it, but when shit went down in Route 66, you were there for me. I tried to ask you how you felt about me back when we were in that cave, but you avoided the question. We’ve had moments that I’ve thought were real, but I honestly can’t tell if you’re seducing me, or if you actually care about me. Have you been screwing with me all this time, or has any of this actually meant something to you?”</p><p>     He stared at me for a bit longer before replying carefully, “I thought you and I were just havin’ a good time. I like you. You’re a good person and a joy to have ‘round here, but this ‘ole cowboy’s better off on his own for many reasons, none of ‘em to do with you. It’s just the way I choose to live. But...”</p><p>     He stopped and put his hand on my shoulder with a sympathetic expression on his face as he continued, “I <em>am</em> here for you. I know what you’re goin’ through. I know you’re hearin’ and seein’ things that ain’t there. I know you’re havin’ nightmares that you struggle to wake from. Please... just keep me in the loop. Don’t shut me out, y/n.”</p><p>     I took a deep breath, trying to centre my thoughts and emotions with everything else. At that moment especially, I wanted nothing more or less than to shut him out. I frowned and looked away from him, but the cowboy placed two of his fingers beneath my chin and raised my head to look into my eyes.</p><p>     Then, he reluctantly hinted, “Maybe you'd like some steak tonight?”</p><p>
  <em>     He wants another night of drinking and debauchery? When I'</em>
  <em>m broken like this?</em>
</p><p>     “No, McCree... I don’t want any steak tonight...” I told him, gently removing his hand from my face and looking away from him.</p><p>     “Well... just because you don’t want steak tonight, doesn’t mean you won’t ever want it again, right?” Tears threatened to fight their way down my face, but I remembered the rugged Gunslinger’s words from earlier.</p><p>
  <em>     “</em>
  <em>The moment you drop your bluff is the moment you die, remember that.</em>
  <em>”</em>
</p><p>     I cleared my throat, fought back the tears, leaned against him, wrapped my arms around his neck, and faked a smile as I teased, “I’m not sure to be honest, but probably not. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when I’m in the mood again for a bit of... Steak.” I grinned devilishly at him and moved in to kiss him on the lips, stopping just short of his and rearing back as he moved in. I then moved back away from him, still grinning at him. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion but grinned at me wolfishly as I walked away. I turned around and headed towards the gaming room to find D.Va. Now that I wasn’t facing McCree, I had mostly dropped my bluff, not quite crying, but not quite looking like I was alright.</p><p>     She was right where I expected her to be, lounging on the couch next to Lucio, and playing her video games. “Yes! New High Score!” She cheered as I walked in. Then, she saw the look on my face and ushered me over to her.</p><p>     “What’s wrong, (y/n)?” She asked me, pulling me into a hug.</p><p>     “I’ll leave you two ladies alone to talk.” Lucio offered. I thanked him, and he left the room. As soon as he was gone, I told D.Va about everything that happened, and then about how I felt about the rugged, handsome, gunslinger.</p><p>     “Yeah, but did you tell <em>him</em> that<em>?</em><em>”</em> She asked me.</p><p>     I shook my head. “But he made it clear he wasn’t looking for a relationship with anyone, so it doesn’t matter...” She nodded in understanding and I admitted, “But that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to ask you for help with my training. I just want to do some late-night practice. Take my mind off things.” Her face lit up with pride as though she was happy to be depended on, and she set her controller on the table and walked with me to the practice range. As we trained, my thoughts were surprisingly quiet. It really helped me to get away from everything that happened.</p><p>     She spent a few hours helping me practice my gun defence techniques, and finally, I was able to take the gun from her several times. I laughed at her and hugged her tightly as we cheered together. She invited me to play some games with her, but I declined, still feeling extremely stressed.</p><p>     “Maybe tomorrow, girl. I need to unwind with a drink and a hot bath.” She smiled at me sympathetically.</p><p>     “I understand. Need some bubble bath? I have some nice selections to choose from for relaxation.” She asked, putting her gun away and placing an arm around me.</p><p>     “Sure, that would be great. Thank you, Hana.”</p><p>     We talked about her new game as we walked, and she invited me to play with her, Lucio, and Genji tomorrow evening after training. I quickly accepted. “You’re on! Hopefully I’ll be as good as any of you guys.” I joked.</p><p>     “Well, if it’s any consolation, none of us have played it yet, so you’ve got a good chance of winning!” I laughed loudly as we arrived at her bedroom and she invited me in, motioning for me to sit on the bed. She picked out several different body washes, bath bombs, and bubble baths for me to choose from and told me to keep them.</p><p>     “Are you sure?” I demanded. She was being seriously generous, and I was still getting used to that from people.</p><p>     “Of course! We’re going to be shopping again soon. You can get me back later.” She told me with a wink. I hugged her, and she murmured, “Just take care of yourself. Don’t let your feelings overwhelm you, and just take things slow and easy. You never know, things might actually work out with him the way you want them to, but also, if they don’t, he’s a great guy to have as a friend. Also, remember, it’s alright to cry when you need to.” I pulled out of the hug, smiled at her, and nodded my thanks. I took the bath supplies, went across the hall to Jesse’s room, and knocked hesitantly at the door.</p><p>     There wasn’t an answer, so I walked in. No one was there. I sighed thankfully, grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey, and drew my bath, putting in the “Sweet Cherry Blossom” bubble bath and the matching bath bomb before I slowly slid into it. I turned off the water as it got to be too high on the tub and lay back in relaxation, letting out a long sigh and taking several big gulps of the liquor before setting it on the ledge of the tub.</p><p>     The stress of the whole day bombarded me, and I let my tears out, leaning back and crying softly. My heart pounded harder with each gasping breath I took in as I sobbed, and my thoughts became loud shrieks, telling me that I was worthless and that I should have been the one with the bullet in my chest, rather than the fallen Rebel. I was unaware of the rugged gunslinger standing in the doorway of the bathroom.</p><p>     “Well now, it looks like you did need some steak, after all...” McCree’s husky voice drawled from the doorway. I gasped and buried myself in bubbles as he walked in. He sniffed the air and sat down on the toilet lid. “Wow, that’s some good stuff. Hana loaned it to ya, right?” I nodded hesitantly and looked away from him, instead gazing up at the ceiling.</p><p>     “You don’t... mind me being here, do ya?” He asked me worriedly. I could hear the concern in his voice, and when I glanced at his eyes, there was a hint of longing in them.</p><p><em>     Longing for what...?  </em>I wondered, but I simply washed my face off, shook my head and rasped, “Do what you want. I don’t mind.”</p><p>     “Hm... well then, you won’t mind me <em>joinin</em><em>’</em> you then,” he said matter-of-factly, taking off his clothing.</p><p>     “C-can you even get in with your left arm...?” I said, trying to make an excuse for him not to come in as I returned my eyes to the ceiling.</p><p>     “Sure can. It’s waterproof.” He placed his hat on top of the toilet seat lid and murmured, “Here, budge up a bit,” as he slid into the tub with me. He then started washing off but cringed and pulled something hard and round out from under him. It was a small, fizzing chunk; all that was left of the bath bomb D.Va gave me.</p><p>     I cleared my throat and muttered, “It’s a bath bomb.”</p><p>     He scoffed and threw it back into the water, griping playfully, “Well, it was a few inches shy o’ becomin’ a different type of bomb.” I lost my composure and let out a loud series of laughs before slinking back into the tub, feeling like I could actually relax.</p><p><em>     No matter how upset I am, he always makes me feel better...</em> I pondered, closing my eyes. It was at that moment that I realised when he suggested "steak," it wasn't always sexual. <em>Steak must be his favourite meal; something that makes him happy. Maybe "steak" is just a codeword for a bit of happiness. So, everytime he's suggested steak, it's really meant, "How about a nice night together, so you can feel better?"</em> A smile spread across my face and gracious tears formed in my eyes.</p><p>     “Hey, think you could get my back for me?” He suddenly asked me, handing me the loofa that was hanging on the shower rack. “I’ll get yours,” he added with a wink.</p><p>     I rolled my eyes and took the loofa, spinning my finger in a circle to tell him to turn around. He did, and I noticed that he was completely trusting, sitting up straight with his eyes closed, and waiting for my gentle touch. I sighed and gently scrubbed his back, rubbing circles around his broad shoulders and trailing down his spine. The more I looked at him, the more I desired him. I eventually realised that I really <em>did</em> want another night of Whiskey and fun.</p><p><em>     You don</em><em>’</em><em>t deserve it. Just stop.</em> I cleared my throat, forcing myself out of my thoughts and declared, “Okay, all done.”</p><p>     He faced me and twirled his finger, saying, “Not quite. Now, it’s your turn.” I turned around and waited for him to start washing my back. To my surprise, he used his hands. He put some soap into his hands and began to rub it into my back, massaging my shoulders and every part of me from my shoulders down to my lower back. I stifled a moan as he worked. The man was amazing with his hands.</p><p>     Then, he leaned into my ear and asked, “Anythin’ else, you want me to work on?” I stiffened as he pressed his body against my back, but then, I leaned into it and he leaned back as well, sinking down into the tub. To my surprise, I was now lying on top of him, my back against his torso with my head lying on his right shoulder.</p><p>
  <em>     You sly dog!</em>
</p><p>     “Actually, my arms have been really tense recently.” I admitted.</p><p>     “Oh really, now?” He murmured, taking my left arm and rubbing it all the way down to my fingers. He then switched to my right arm and when he had finished, he asked me again, “Anythin’ else?”</p><p>     I smiled knowingly and responded, “You know, I have to admit,” I gazed away from him sadly, "I was angry with you. I thought that 'steak' just meant another night of drinking and sex, but then I came to realise that <em>you</em> are steak to me."</p><p>     McCree gaped at me for a moment before smiling warmly and stroking my face gently with his Human hand. "I'm glad you can count on me, Mustang," he admitted, leaning closer into me and waiting for me to do the same. I tilted my head backward and met his lips with my own.</p><p>    Then, my eyes flashed open, staring into his determinedly. "Actually, I do want steak tonight. I want <em>you,</em> McCree."</p><p>     I rubbed my ass against his length, which was already pretty hard at this point, and he turned me around, kissing me roughly and positioning his cock at my entrance.</p><p>     "Yes, ma'am," he replied.</p><p>     I thrust him into me, groaning loudly at the pain of how dry the bath water was making me inside, but loving it all the same. He shifted our positions so that he was on top of me and then he began thrusting very slowly inside of me, making sure to bite, kiss, and caress me to make me even more turned on so that my walls would get slicker.</p><p>     “How’s that?” He asked me, picking up the pace a bit.</p><p>     I moaned softly. “It’s good. Don’t stop,” I breathed.</p><p>     “Hang on tight, Mustang.” He told me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he suddenly lifted me up and pushed me against the side of the tub, turning me around and thrusting into me from behind. I moaned loudly at the unexpected sensation and he kissed my neck, his beard tickling my face as he smiled. I leaned into him and bounced in time with his thrusts.</p><p>     “Are you... tryin’ ta cheer me up, Cowboy?” I drawled.</p><p>     He chuckled into my ear and murmured back, “Yeah, I am. Is it workin’?” I shrugged and stopped him before I turned around to face him, kneeling in front of him. I stared for a moment at his length and grinned devilishly up at him before taking it into my mouth all the way and giving him a blowjob. I placed my hand underneath my mouth and rubbed and twisted in time with the way my mouth and tongue were moving against him.</p><p>     He let out a low groan. “Mustang... t-take it easy down there, wouldya?” In response, I took him all the way into my throat, leaned up, and raked my nails down his back. Then, I grabbed his ass before moving that hand down to massage his balls, while my other hand went back to providing torsion on his dick in time with my mouth. He moaned loudly now, and I stifled a prideful laugh as I blew him. He began to twitch inside of my mouth now and I moaned loudly, giving him even more stimulus as I rubbed my breasts along his legs.</p><p>     He let out one more low moan and then grabbed me off of him, staring at me with a piercing glare that was filled with passion before he grabbed me out of the tub, soaking wet, and carried me off to the bed, throwing me on it and fucking me wildly. I was incredibly close to my climax now, the bath and his massage having worked their magic on me, and I squirmed beneath him and moaned loudly.</p><p>     “Ah, Jesse... Jesse!” I cried out, running my hands through his soaking hair. I stared into his eyes and I could see the truth in them. He was enjoying himself. Enjoying this moment. Enjoying taking me into the throes of passion with him. I smiled at him dazedly and he grinned back and moved even harder into me.</p><p><em>     Even if it</em><em>’</em><em>s just a good time, I should enjoy it while it lasts. </em>I thought to myself, pulling him to me for a rough kiss as he pounded into me. <em>I</em><em>’</em><em>ll just be thankful for every moment I have with him.</em> I writhed and moaned beneath him as my breathing quickened and my insides churned in a powerful orgasm. “Jesse... Jesse...!” I squealed as the pleasure began to turn to pain, gripping the bed sheets between my hands tightly.</p><p>     “I hear ya, Pumpkin,” he groaned softly, slowing his pace and pulling out of me. He hadn’t been satisfied yet. I got up, still reeling from my moment of passion and flipped him over onto the bed, continuing where I left off on my blowjob. He groaned loudly and held my hair as I sucked, close to cumming. I sped up my pace and he swore as his breathing picked up.</p><p>     “I’m close... almost...” he choked out. I worked even faster, relishing the thought of taking all of him inside me. I met his gaze with a determined one of my own. Then, he came, squirting powerfully into the back of my throat. I swallowed it down and cleaned off his dick, licking it in small circles while staring him directly in his eyes. He breathed deeply and fell back on the bed, laughing in satisfaction as I lay next to him.</p><p>     “Hey, get over here,” he commanded, smiling brightly at me and opening his arms in a wide embrace. I snuggled into him and he declared, “God damn, you really are a mustang, aren’t you?”</p><p>     “I guess so,” I answered him, stroking his hair softly. I then became aware of how wet the bed was.</p><p>     “We should really get new sheets. We got the bed all wet.”</p><p>     “Yeah, we did,” he agreed suggestively, smirking at me.</p><p>     I blushed and shoved him playfully. “Alright, come on, then. Let’s go get cleaned up and then we’ll figure out the bed,” I demanded, beckoning him towards the bathroom. We washed each other off and got dressed for bed. I took the sheets to the washroom and did a load of laundry, getting out new sheets until ours were ready. I returned and made the bed, and McCree and I both lay down in it, staring up at the ceiling peacefully.</p><p>     Finally, he smiled, rolled over on his side and murmured, “Good night, Mustang.”</p><p>     “Good night, Cowboy.” I responded softly, turning off the lights and falling asleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't own Overwatch, Blizzard does. But I do own this story! :) Hope ya enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>      The days that followed were full of struggles, but also training and fun. McCree insisted I see Angela about my mental health and she began to treat me for PTSD and depression. McCree was with me every step of the way. He was there each time I stumbled, he filled my days with laughter and excitement, and he was always patient with me, holding me gently whenever I had a nightmare.</p>
<p>      I enjoyed every moment I got to spend with McCree and I believe he enjoyed his time with me. Before I knew it, the week was over, and Saturday rolled around.</p>
<p>      “Hey, y/n, let’s go on ahead and wake up. We’ve got a big day ahead o’ us. There’s a dance tonight.” McCree informed me, gently rubbing my shoulder. I squinted at him and stretched my arms.</p>
<p>      “I... don’t think I’m going tonight. I’ll catch the next one. I’m still just... not feelin’ one hundred percent.” I admitted.</p>
<p>      “I don’t wanna bring down the party to be honest. If you want to go though, be my guest.”</p>
<p>      “Hmm...” He grumbled, stroking his beard. “I was hopin’ I’d get to dance with a Mustang tonight, but if you don’t wanna go, we’ll catch the next one. How ‘bout we do some trainin’ tonight then?” He smiled at me and added, “We can do some more hand-to-hand combat and finish with shootin’. How’s that sound?” He inquired, pulling a cigar out of his nightstand and lighting it up. I nodded eagerly and went to take a quick shower.</p>
<p>     When I got back, he was already dressed and ready to get some breakfast. We joined the others for breakfast and then headed straight to the practice rooms. He had been training me in hand-to-hand combat the past several days, but I wasn’t prepared for today’s lesson.</p>
<p>     I got my weapon from the wall and then joined him in the middle of the fighting ring. We sparred, just as we usually did, but then out of nowhere, McCree knocked me over and pulled the hunting knife out of his back pocket, putting the blade of it up against my neck.</p>
<p>     The way he dominated me in our fight turned me on. I smirked up at him, despite the threat of the blade on my throat. He grinned at me mischievously and then got up, offering me his hand to get up.</p>
<p>     I took it and he quickly explained, “Even in a fist fight, you gotta be wary. An enemy will be more likely to screw you over than fight fairly. Expect there to be a weapon on them and fight carefully.” I nodded and put up my hands, ready to fight him. For awhile, we went back and forth, trying to suss out a weakness.</p>
<p>     Finally, I saw McCree readying himself to tackle me once more, and I jumped into it, pulling out my gun at the same time that he jumped. I was on the ground once more, his blade against my throat, but this time I won. I narrowed my eyes and grinned devilishly.</p>
<p>     “What’re you grinnin’ for? You lost again.” He demanded in amusement.</p>
<p>     “I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Cowboy.” I tapped his crotch with my gun and he looked down to find his valuables taken hostage. He thought for a second and then dropped his knife, tapping out of the fight.</p>
<p>     He laughed loudly and exclaimed, “Damn, Mustang, you sure can be scary sometimes.” We fought back and forth for a few more rounds, and then moved onto target practice. That night, McCree and I took our dinner and a blanket up to the top of Watchpoint Gibraltar and ate as the sun went down.</p>
<p>     “Not as nice of a view as your secret hideout, but still nice.” I remarked, taking a bite of steak.</p>
<p>     “Yeah. Sunsets are always nice though. For me, they’re a reminder that the day has ended and whatever mistakes I may have made that day, I can do better when the sun rises the next.”</p>
<p>     I smiled in appreciation at his poetic thoughts and sipped my Whiskey. When the sun disappeared from view, we lie back and stared up at the stars. I closed my eyes as the first star came into view, and I made a wish.</p>
<p>     A whole month went by and I was now a lot stronger in body, mind, and spirit. I smiled as I woke up and thought back to when I first came to Watchpoint Gibraltar.</p>
<p><em>     I was so weak then. I didn</em><em>’</em><em>t have any real fighting ability and I didn</em><em>’</em><em>t have any friends either. Now, I</em><em>’</em><em>m blessed with both.</em> I yawned and stretched in bed, flipping over to find McCree not yet awake. I smiled at how cute he was as he slept and then slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake him. I did my daily routines and then slowly roused McCree.</p>
<p>     “Come on, Cowboy. You’re gonna miss breakfast,” I chided softly, gently rubbing his back to get him to wake up. He stirred and sat up slowly.</p>
<p>     “Mmm, alright, I’ll meetcha downstairs at the dining area.” He promised, getting up and wandering into the bathroom. I joined the others for breakfast, pouring myself some cereal and sitting down at the table next to D.Va and Lucio.</p>
<p>     “Hey, (y/n). You know about the dance tonight, right?” Lucio asked me, jamming out to his music. I cocked my head to the side.</p>
<p>     “No...?”</p>
<p>     Both he and D.Va gasped and D.Va quickly explained, “We have a dance once a month to let off some steam and have a good time. You missed the last one, but the dance takes place again tonight this month. Do you have something to wear or are we going to have to do some emergency shopping?”</p>
<p>     She squinted her eyes at me and I admitted, “I... don’t have anything to wear tonight...”</p>
<p>     She gasped and took me by the hand, running me over to the hangar.</p>
<p>     “D.Va we haven’t even finished breakfast yet!”</p>
<p>     She shushed me and yelled, “Lena! You here? We need you! It’s an emergency!”</p>
<p>     “Hana?” Lena called out, coming out from where Brigitte was working on some sort of metal shield.</p>
<p>     “What is it?”</p>
<p>     “We need to do some last-minute shopping, but we need to go to London! (Y/n) needs something super stylish to wear for the dance tonight.” D.Va declared, puffing up her cheeks. I nodded sheepishly and blushed.</p>
<p>     “Alright then, let’s get going. We’ll want to be back before long. It’ll take us about three hours to get there.” It was already ten in the morning, so we would only be able to shop for a couple of hours if we wanted to make it back by dinnertime and have time to get ready for the dance.</p>
<p>     D.Va and I played video games while Lena flew us into London. We were there in no time flat, and Lena showed us around, taking us to all the coolest stores. Then, we got some food from a nearby street truck and sat down on a bench.</p>
<p>     “Do you have any ideas about what type of dress you might want?” She asked me, taking a bite of her burger. I sighed, thinking about the type of thing McCree might like. I imagined a small-town saloon with sleazy barmaids wearing dresses that showed off a lot on the top, but flowed at the bottom, and shook my head.</p>
<p>     “Maybe... a Victorian-style dress. I’ve always been fond of those and they’re beautiful. They’re elegant and they show off just enough. Mind you, I don’t think they’d have any around here, yeah?” I answered her, eating a bit of my salad.</p>
<p>     Lena nodded, holding up a finger while she chewed her food and then told me, “You’re in luck! I know a place actually! They specialise in modern and old-fashioned styles. They have dresses that are a nice in-between in that style. Come on, let’s go visit them!”</p>
<p>     We walked for about ten minutes and stopped at a small dress shop. Lena led me inside and I gazed around at the dresses in awe. There were so many different colours and styles that my head was spinning.</p>
<p>     “What colours did you want in the dress?” Lena asked me, showing me a few dresses. I smiled as one caught my eye.</p>
<p>     “Actually... I think this is the dress I want.” I told her absent-mindedly as I stared at it. It was a red and black Victorian dress that had gold trim and long, flowing sleeves. The shopkeeper came over and helped me try it on in the fitting area. When I came out to show everyone, I twirled around in it and dazzled them all.</p>
<p>     “Honestly, miss, I think you were made for that dress. Or, it was made for you, rather.” The shopkeeper praised. Lena and D.Va quickly agreed. I got a golden coloured hairpin that had a horse on it to match it.</p>
<p><em>     Mustang indeed.</em> I thought as I walked over to the counter. Then, I spotted a pair of black boots that would go nicely with the dress. I smiled and added them to the lot. When we returned, I rushed to the bedroom and stashed my purchases.</p>
<p>     The door suddenly flew open and I turned to see McCree standing there, looking worried.</p>
<p>     “Where the <em>hell</em> have you been? You disappeared for six hours and weren’t answerin’ your phone!” He snarled worriedly.</p>
<p><em>     Oops...</em> I thought as I looked over at the nightstand to see my phone sitting there idly. I picked it up and found six missed calls and ten missed texts.</p>
<p>     “I’m sorry, I left it by accident.”</p>
<p>     “Well, I was askin’ around to see where you went, and no one knew. Brigitte said that you had to fly with Lena because of some kind of... emergency!” He spat. I laughed aloud as I remembered how D.Va had exaggerated the “emergency” to get Lena’s attention.</p>
<p>     “I’m sorry. I went shopping with D.Va and Lena for the dance tonight. D.Va dragged me away before I could tell you anything.” He was gazing at me with a piercing expression on his face, though there was fear in his eyes. I walked over to him and threw my arms around him.</p>
<p>     “Hey, I’m really sorry, Jesse,” I apologised to him. “You should know that if I leave, I’ll always come back. I’d never just up and leave you.” I promised him.</p>
<p>     “Many people have before, what’s stoppin’ you?” He bit back pulling away from me. I glared at him with an expression of hurt on my face.</p>
<p>     “<em>Shouldn</em><em>’</em><em>t you know by now that I care about you?</em><em>”</em> I thought but didn’t say. I instead beckoned him, “Come on... we don’t want to miss dinner...” I stealthily dabbed the corners of my eyes as we walked along to the dining area.</p>
<p>     “Maybe after dinner we can get some training in. What do you think? The dance isn’t until nine tonight, and it shouldn’t take me <em>too</em> long to get ready. Can we, please?” I asked him.</p>
<p>     He scoffed, but then smiled half-heartedly at me and declared, “Alright, sounds like a plan.” I found my smile again and happily dug into my plate of food once we arrived. I spoke with D.Va, McCree, and the others excitedly about the dance, and when it was time to train, McCree rose from his seat and beckoned me to the training area.</p>
<p>     When we got there, we started out doing some shooting practice. I was able to hit the targets wherever he told me with his Peacekeeper, and he praised me for my progress. Then, I had us move to the sparring area.</p>
<p>     “You sure you wanna fight hand-to-hand so close to the time of the dance?” He asked me, eyeing me warily.</p>
<p>     “Yes, and I don’t want you to hold back your punches. Talon certainly won’t. Besides, I’m ready for this,” I assured him, getting into my fighting stance. He grinned wolfishly and then looked at me more seriously as he came at me with a hard, right-swing.</p>
<p>     I blocked with both arms, matching his strength and he came at me with an uppercut since I left myself open, but I skilfully dropped into a backwards roll and he hit the open air. I got back on my feet and he came at me again, this time with me striking back at him.</p>
<p>     We matched each other’s speed and ferocity and he suddenly asked me with a voice like honey, “So, what sorta dress didja buy, sweetheart?” I got flustered for just a moment and he caught me in the abdomen. I rolled with the punch and it wasn’t so bad. I lashed out with my leg and swept his feet out from under him, but he rolled backwards and jumped to his feet again.</p>
<p>     “That, sir, is confidential information. If I told ya, I’d have to kill ya,” I teased him, faking him out and punching him clean in the jaw. He laughed and threw a well-placed kick at my stomach, but I caught it and threw him backwards.</p>
<p>     “Hey, you’ve gotten a hell of a lot better with your fightin’. Remember when you couldn’t even get my gun away from me?” He reminded me, drawing his pistol from its holster. I reacted quickly, tilting my head to the other side of the gun and smacking his wrist with one hand and the gun with my other hand simultaneously, catching the gun and turning it on him.</p>
<p>     I breathed in excitement and laughed loudly but then quickly composed myself, demanding, “On your knees, now. Hands above your head.” He laughed and did as I said before tapping the mat in defeat. I smiled and handed him back his pistol.</p>
<p>     “I think your training is goin’ really well. Which is why... I asked Brigitte and Lena to whip you up somethin’ real special.” Then, he turned to the front of the training room and exclaimed, “Alright, guys, come on in!” Everyone from Overwatch came into the training room and Brigitte brought me a medium-sized rectangular box.</p>
<p>     I took it into my hands and she said cheerfully, “Thanks for the desserts you’ve made and for just being a good friend to all of us. I don’t know what I would have done if Reinhardt hadn’t come back safely that day. You took the initiative and saved him and Lucio both. Now, with your training coming along, you’ve gotten so much stronger, and you’re well on your way to becoming a real hero. This is a gift to say, ‘Good Job, keep going.’”</p>
<p>     My eyes filled up with tears and I smiled at all of them and opened the box to reveal a suit of some sort. I sat on the ground and laid it out. Inside, there was a black and silver metal breastplate that was similar in design to McCree’s, a red and black Poncho, and a pair of black chaps and red and black boots with spurs on them.</p>
<p>     At the very bottom was a small pin that had the Overwatch symbol on it. Lena walked up to me and pinned it on my shirt.</p>
<p>     “You’re one of us now.” She told me proudly, standing in front of me with her hands on her hips. I smiled at all of them breathlessly and turned to look up at McCree, but he had disappeared. I turned around and saw him over at the weapons rack, bringing me back a small, long box.</p>
<p>     “This is my present to you.” He told me, walking over to me and placing it into my hands. I opened it to reveal a pistol identical to Jesse’s with a black handle, as well as a black holster.</p>
<p>     “Use it wisely, and don’t aim it at anyone unless you plan on pullin’ that trigger. You got a name for it?” I grinned and slid my hand over it, caressing it gently.</p>
<p>     “The Quieter. Yours is Peacekeeper, so mine will be the Quieter. Peace and Quiet.” I joked. The others laughed, and I turned and thanked all of them, hugging them each in turn. Then, Angela insisted she look at my abdomen and Jesse’s face where I punched him.</p>
<p>     “For God’s sakes, woman. We’re <em>fine.</em><em>”</em> McCree protested, rolling his eyes.</p>
<p>     “Just a quick check-up is all.” She chided. He huffed, and Angela used her Caduceus Staff to heal my stomach and his jaw.</p>
<p>     “Neither of you should have any sort of bruising before the dance. You are free to go.”</p>
<p>     “Thank you, Angela,” I murmured to her, smiling as I took Jesse’s hand. “Come on, Cowboy, you can help me carry my stuff back to the bedroom, so we can get ready for the dance.” I carefully placed the Quieter back into its box and faced Brigitte.</p>
<p>     “Seriously though, thank you so much for my gift. It’s... it’s... no words can really describe how grateful I am for it.” I admitted graciously, throwing my arms around her in a warm hug. She returned it and then gave a bow.</p>
<p>     “May it always keep you safe, and bring you comfort in dark times.” She told me as she walked away with Reinhardt.</p>
<p>     I walked with Jesse back to our room and put away my gifts, pulling out my dress, hairpin, and boots.</p>
<p>     I glanced over at the handsome gunslinger and admitted, “You know, I think we’re both a bit sweaty and tired after training. Care to bathe with me?” He turned and smiled at me, his face lighting up, and agreed. I placed the dress box and shoe box on top of the counter and drew the bath, getting out of my clothes. I was already fully naked, but as I turned around and saw McCree entering the bathroom, fully clothed, I quickly remedied the situation.</p>
<p>     “You need help with that?” I asked him, slowly taking off his poncho. He chuckled and let me undress him, taking off his hat and placing it on the counter near my other belongings. I got him completely naked and pulled him into me, kissing him passionately.</p>
<p>     “Mmm,  y’ know, I just can never get tired o’ that.” He admitted suddenly, a warm look in his eyes as he rubbed one hand across my cheek.</p>
<p>     “Good, ‘cuz you’re stuck with me, Jesse McCree.” I drawled, pulling him towards the tub. We both relaxed in it and then helped each other wash off. It was usually sexy, but in this moment, it was more... wholesome and tender.</p>
<p>     His voice was warm and smooth as silk as he said, “I wish this moment could last forever.” I tensed up. As romantic as the phrase was, it sounded almost sad, bittersweet.</p>
<p>     “What do you mean?” I pressed, turning around to look at him.</p>
<p>     “Oh, nothin’, just that all moments have to pass, y’know? I just wish this one was frozen in time.” He admitted, but as I stared into his eyes, I caught the lie.</p>
<p><em>     What is he lying to me about?</em> I wondered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't own Overwatch, it's owned by Blizzard. I wrote this story though and I hope you enjoy it! :)</p>
<p>DISCLAIMER: Sexy stuff happens in this chapter. You've been warned lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Although, I had a niggling fear in the back of my mind that something was wrong, I still wanted to enjoy the moment with him and not worry about a thing. I sat atop him, took both of his hands in mine, looked deep into his eyes, and kissed him lovingly.</p>
<p>     “You’re right. No moment can last forever, but we can make this one last a bit <em>longer.</em>” I offered.</p>
<p>     He smiled with that same bitter sweetness I saw in his eyes as he lied and told me, “Yeah, let’s do that, darlin’.” I laid back in his arms and rested my head on his shoulder and he pressed a warm kiss into my cheek. Eventually, our skin pruned, and we both agreed it was time to get out. McCree wrapped a thick towel around me and kissed the top of my head, walking out of the bathroom.</p>
<p>     “I’ll get dressed out here and head down for the party. You get dressed in there, take your time, and meet me downstairs when you’re ready, alright?” He called.</p>
<p>     “Alright! See you then! Also,” I paused as I looked over at McCree’s brown cowboy hat that was lying on the counter, “you wearin’ a suit tonight, Cowboy?”</p>
<p>     He laughed and declared, “That there is confidential information, darlin’. If I told ya I’d have ta kill ya.” I groaned and started putting on my corset. I pulled the corset strings tight, but realised I was having a lot of trouble.</p>
<p>     “Hey, Jesse?” I called to him.</p>
<p>     “Yes, ma’am?” He answered back, standing at the bathroom door.</p>
<p>     “Can you please get Hana for me? I need some help with my dress...” On the other side of the door, all I could hear was raucous laughter.</p>
<p>     “That is just too damn precious. Alright, gimme just a minute and I’ll get her.” I sat on the toilet lid, struggling with the strings and several minutes later, D.Va came in carrying a medium-sized bag, all dressed up and looking beautiful in her adorable purple short sleeved V-neck dress with a flowing lavender belt and black shoes; her hair done up in a braided bun.</p>
<p>     I smiled at her and she grinned sympathetically, and hummed, “Oh you poor thing. Let me get you fixed up.”</p>
<p>     She tied my corset on and helped me get the main part of the dress on. We talked about my hair, makeup, and nails, and she decided on what would look the best for me. Then, she got to work.</p>
<p>     “Really, Hana, you don’t have to—”</p>
<p>     “Yes, I do, now hush and let me give you a makeover!” She told me excitedly, pulling several types of nail polish out of her bag and starting to paint my nails black. She put red hearts on the index nails of each hand and moved onto my hair. She wet it and combed it gently, pulling bottles of hair care products out and massaging them into my scalp and hair. She then twisted it up and stuck the Mustang hairpin into it. She grabbed a few strands of hair from the front and pulled them out of the pinned bunch, making little ringlets with them.</p>
<p>     “Wow, D.Va it looks amazing...” I breathed, watching as she got started on the makeup. She used foundation on my face and then got out the eyeshadow, giving me a red and black smoky-eye look, finishing it with black eyeliner and mascara. She handed me a reddish lipstick and I put it on, rubbing my lips together and wiping off the excess. She smiled at me in awe and clapped her hands excitedly. I looked in the mirror and couldn’t even recognise myself. I looked amazingly beautiful, like something out of a storybook.</p>
<p><em>     Or an old-timey Western Classic. </em>I thought slyly. “Thank you so much, D.Va I’m not sure what I would have done without you or anyone else in this group of amazing friends I have.”</p>
<p>     She waved her hand at me like it was nothing and smiled brightly, handing me a perfume called, “After Dusk, Before Dawn.” I sniffed it and smiled at the smell of it. It was smoky, but sweet at the same time, and had a nice kick to it that really drew your attention to it without being too strong. I sprayed some on my neck, wrists, and hair and rubbed it all over my body, smiling as I relished the scent.</p>
<p><em>     It reminds me of Jesse...</em> I thought happily, my mind going back to our first moment together when he draped his poncho around me and that smoky cologne flooded my senses, along with the smell of cigars and Jack Daniels.</p>
<p>     “McCree’s going to love it, I think,” Hana said, smiling brightly at me.</p>
<p>     “Yeah, I think he will. Thanks again, girl. Also...” I lifted his cowboy hat up from the counter and asked her, “With what he’s wearing, do you think this will look nice on him?” She stared at it for a minute, scrutinizing it carefully and then gave me a thumbs-up.</p>
<p>     I put on my boots and we walked arm-in-arm together, gossiping about boys.</p>
<p>     “I really want Lucio to ask me to dance. I mean, I know he’s the DJ and all, but how awesome would that be?!” She shrieked, shaking me slightly.</p>
<p>     “So, you really like him, then?” I pressed, raising an eyebrow slyly.</p>
<p>     She blushed ever so slightly and murmured, “Well... umm... yes actually. I just haven’t had the courage to ask him out, and he hasn’t made any moves towards me, so...”</p>
<p>     Just before we entered the dance floor, I made her face me and held one of her hands in mine, staring straight into her eyes as I told her, “You have <em>got</em> to ask him! I’ve seen you two, and you’re both super cute! And you, D.Va are a strong, smart, beautiful person who has <em>nothing</em> to worry about! Don’t let the moment pass you two by, or it could be gone forever.” She smiled warmly at me and I nodded my head towards the DJ booth.</p>
<p>     “Go git ‘im, girl,” I ordered. She saluted me cutely and rushed over there to talk with the enthusiastic DJ. I smiled after her and scanned the floor, looking for my Cowboy.</p>
<p>     “Well, now, wasn’t that sweet o’ you?” He suddenly called out from behind me. I grinned slyly and turned slowly to face him, a coy expression on my face.</p>
<p>     “Hopefully it helps. I think they’d be great together,” I declared.</p>
<p>     He was wearing black pants and a long, black trench coat to match it, but his suit vest was a vibrant red colour, and he had a matching red Cravat.</p>
<p>     “You forgot your hat,” I murmured, placing it on top of his head. He smiled warmly and reached out a hand to me, and I put mine in his. To my surprise, he lifted it to his mouth and kissed it gently, staring at me in shock as he slowly lowered his hand to his side.</p>
<p>     “Thank you, darlin’... You look beautiful, Mustang.” He eyed every inch of me. I blushed and smiled at his praise.</p>
<p>     “And you look terribly handsome, Cowboy.” I bit back.</p>
<p>     “Hey, what’s the terrible part?”</p>
<p>     “What it does to me.”</p>
<p>     He let out a low, dark chuckle and led me over to the dance floor.</p>
<p>     “I’m not really one for dancin’ though, you know... Unless Lucio’s got some Country Shuffle in that playlist or somethin’.” I laughed and beckoned him over to me anyways and suddenly a song that was a mixture of Western and something modern came on over the air. I cheered at Hana and Lucio and they gave me a thumbs-up.</p>
<p>     “Alright, this I can get with!” McCree cheered, starting up a line dance. I watched him for a moment and then joined in with him, following along with his movements. Several times, I lost the beat and bumped into him, but he would simply sway me in time with the beat and pick up where he left off with the dance. I laughed joyously as we danced together, and when the song ended, and a fast-paced dubstep song came on, he took my hand and led me off to the bar.</p>
<p>     “A Jack and Coke for me please, Brigitte. And for you?” He asked me, elbowing me playfully.</p>
<p>     “I’ll have the same, thank you Brigitte.” I answered, smiling brightly at her. She looked at both of us with a knowing grin and a raised eyebrow as she mixed the drinks and served them to us.</p>
<p>     I smiled at the cowboy, staring into his milk chocolate eyes, which shone a golden colour in the lighting of the kitchen. He returned the smile, sipped his drink and asked me, “So, how do you feel ‘bout your fightin’ and shootin’ abilities?”</p>
<p>     I drank a bit from my glass and smiled, answering, “Honestly, I feel very confident in them, especially with you here by my side.”</p>
<p>     There was a look in his eyes that I couldn’t place, and he pressed, “Well, you have to know that I may not always be here. If I took you on a mission, if you had to go alone on a mission, or if I had to leave you for awhile to take care of a solo mission, do you think you could handle it?” I bit my lip for a minute and wondered why we were having this conversation now, of all times.</p>
<p>     “Well, yeah I do think I could, but... why are you asking me this now?”</p>
<p>     “No reason, I just was curious about how strong you’d gotten inside <em>and</em> out. Now, you believe in yourself, (y/n). That’s somethin’ to be real proud of.” He caressed the left side of my face with his right hand. I smiled despite myself. There was something he wasn’t telling me and it bothered me, but I wasn’t gonna let it ruin this night, this moment.</p>
<p>     “Hey, Cowboy,” I started, staring him in the eyes seductively, “why don’t you and I ride off into the sunset?”</p>
<p>     He swirled his drink as he softly said, “Would I be ridin’ you, Mustang,” and then flicked his eyes to mine as he finished what remained of his drink and set it on the table.</p>
<p>     I bit my lip in anticipation.<em> God...damn... he is too hot.</em> I finished my drink and stroking his face softly, I answered him, “Of course, Gunslinger. If you think you can tame me.” I got up and ran away from him, making eye contact with him as I headed towards our bedroom. He stared for a moment and then followed quickly, giving chase.</p>
<p>     I laughed giddily and teased him around every corner. Finally, as we got to the door, he caught me in his arms and held me there as I struggled against him.</p>
<p>     “You oughta know by now, Darlin’ that wranglin’ Mustangs is what Cowboys do best,” he purred into my ear. I melted into his embrace and he carried me into the room, shutting the door and placing me onto the bed. “Can we... try somethin’ a bit different tonight?” He pleaded, staring into my eyes.</p>
<p>     “Sure, what did you have in mind?” I demanded, striking a pose on the bed.</p>
<p>     “I’d like to get you all tied up for me. Ropes are kind of a specialty of mine.”</p>
<p>     I stared down at my fingernails and then flitted my eyes back to his, complaining, “Oh, I dunno about that, Cowboy, I’m not feelin’ very tame just yet.”</p>
<p>     He grinned at me devilishly. “Oh, is that so?” I nodded at him and he fell on top of me, groping at me as his lips pressed against mine roughly, passionately. He began to undo my dress and then he pulled it over my head, eyeing my corset hungrily.</p>
<p>     “So, <em>that</em><em>’</em><em>s</em> what you needed help with in the bathroom.” He observed, toying with the strings and pulling it off in an expert manner. “Coulda just came to me for that, Sweetheart. Remember, ropes are a specialty of mine.”</p>
<p>     “But then, it wouldn’t have been as exciting for you to take it off, if you’d already seen it.” I objected, leaning into him and letting out a small moan as he rubbed my clit.</p>
<p>     He leaned down into me and murmured huskily into my ear, “It’ll <em>always </em>be excitin’, no matter what. Now then, think you’re tame enough now, Mustang?” I nodded, melting into that voice of his.</p>
<p>     “Rope me. Ride me. Do what you will with me, Wrangler,” I moaned, biting my lip. McCree let out a low whistle and got some rope out of the cabinet. He tied it to a small hook on the ceiling that I didn’t even know was there.</p>
<p>     “You do this kinda thing often, Cowboy?” I demanded, a hint of jealousy in my voice.</p>
<p>     “Naw, I set this up a few days ago actually. Thought you might like to try somethin’ new. Thought you might get sick of doin’ the same old stuff.” He responded, still setting up the ropes. I walked over to him and stared thoughtfully at him, grabbing his face and turning it towards me. I planted a kiss on his lips and then pulled back to stare into his eyes.</p>
<p>     “Hey, I could <em>never </em>get tired of this, and I’m not goin’ anywhere. My place is here, with you.” I promised him. He smiled at me and brushed a strand of hair out of my face before returning to the ropes. Then, he beckoned me over, gently removed my undergarments, and tied me up into it, bending my arms and legs back in positions I never thought they’d go into. However, all of my training had made me so much more flexible than I previously thought before. Finally, he was done tying me up. The ropes dug into my skin, but in a way that was seductive and sensual, versus painful and dangerous. It helped too that I trusted the handsome, kind, honey-voiced man with my life.</p>
<p>     “So, Cowboy, is this everything you had hoped for?” I asked him as I struggled against the ropes.</p>
<p>     “And more...” McCree rasped in awe of the sight of me. The bulge in his pants spoke volumes and I wished I was untied to rip them off of him and expose it. I wagged a finger at him, beckoning him closer to me.</p>
<p>     He leaned in and I whispered, “Why don’t you show me how they do it down in New Mexico, Wrangler?” In a flash, his pants and shirt were gone, and he was teasing me, running his hands over every part of my body. I smiled and moaned as he rubbed at my clit with his metal hand and leaned forward against me to toy with my breasts with his other hand. Something about the sensation of the cold, metal digits running against me made me even more turned on. I arched my back as my climax was nearing, and he stopped, planting light kisses along my back all the way down to my ass.</p>
<p>     “And here I thought you Deadlock boys were tough shit. Where’s the hard ride I was expecting?” I teased him.</p>
<p>     He tipped his hat at me and grinned, a flicker of Outlaw rising up in his eyes as he rasped darkly, “Oh, it’s comin’, don’t you worry none about that.” Then, he walked over to the dresser and pulled out a brand-new dildo.</p>
<p>     “Jesse, what...” Not just a dildo, but a vibrator, and it was huge. I cried out as he shoved it into my ass.</p>
<p>     “Still wanna be ridden hard by an outlaw, Mustang?” He crowed, turning on the vibrator.</p>
<p>     I moaned loudly and cried out, “Yes, McCree...!” Without waiting any longer, he dug his nails into my back and slid his hard cock into my vag, dragging his nails down me to find purchase on my hips, where he used them to hang onto while he pounded into me. I struggled against the ropes, moaning as all the sensations, the rope, the vibrator, McCree’s nails, his dick, pulled me closer to the brink of climax. I moaned loudly and suddenly, the Outlaw’s warm breath was on my neck.</p>
<p>     The smoky, rich scent of his cologne added to the sensation I was experiencing, and it only got stronger as he rasped, “Scream my name, Mustang.” He turned the vibrator on the highest setting and I lost it as he thrusted even harder into me.</p>
<p>     “Jesse...! Jesse McCree...! Fuck me hard, Jesse... unh!” I cut off as my breathing sped up and he removed the vibrator and held me close, hammering into me while caressing me.</p>
<p>     I moaned loudly and wildly as my insides churned and flexed in time with his thrusting.</p>
<p>     Then, he let out, “I’m close.”</p>
<p>     “Then, don’t stop. Cum with me!” He went even faster now, biting into my shoulder as he went deeper and harder.</p>
<p>     I orgasmed a second time and screamed, the pleasure turned to pain and he hesitated, but I moaned, “Please... don’t stop, Jesse. You’re amazing...!” He kept going and soon, he twitched wildly inside of me and shot his load into me, falling against me in a love-drunk heap of muscle. I laughed euphorically, and he slowly untied me, chuckling along with me.</p>
<p>     As we both collapsed on the bed, he pulled me into him, running his fingers through his hair and I admitted, “This might be the best night you and I have ever shared together.”</p>
<p>     “You liked that?” He asked me, smiling warmly. As I stared into his chocolate-brown eyes, I wondered if that gaze held love for me.</p>
<p>     “Yeah, it was amazing, Jesse.” I told him, kissing him on the cheek.</p>
<p>     He kissed me on the top of my head and returned, “Glad you liked it. Good night, Mustang.” There was something bittersweet in his voice, and it scared me, just as it had before.</p>
<p>     “Hey, McCree, what do you think Reinhardt will be making for breakfast tomorrow? Think he might surprise us with steak?” I asked him, holding my breath and waiting for a response.</p>
<p>     He let out a tired laugh and admitted, “I tend not to think <em>that</em> far ahead, but... I hope so.”</p>
<p>     “Good night, Jesse.”</p>
<p>     “Good night, (y/n).”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Blizzard owns Overwatch, but this story is mine! Hope you enjoy reading it!</p><p>DISCLAIMER: Torture elements, violence, gore, and brainwashing are in this chapter. If any of these are a trigger for you, I suggest a different story, but if not, I hope you enjoy! You've been warned. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     I let out a loud yawn and stretched, rolling over to hug the handsome cowboy.</p><p>     “Damn, McCree, last night was—” I stopped in my tracks as I realised the bed was cold and empty. He hadn’t been there for awhile. My heart lurched as the bad feeling from the previous night came back and tripled. I tore out of bed, threw on my Gunslinger Overwatch uniform, and tied my hair back, placing my black hat on my head and holstering my gun. Then, I rushed downstairs to the dining area, hoping that the stubborn old cowboy had just wanted to let me sleep and came down to eat something.</p><p>     When I didn’t see him there, I demanded loudly, “Where is he? Where’s Jesse?” They all stared at me in shock and Lena came up to me, wrapping an arm around me to calm my nerves.</p><p>     “He... didn’t tell you...?” I shook my head, tears beginning to form at the creases of my eyes as she and the others explained that he was on a mission to hunt down the member of Talon who had been hunting the inactive Overwatch members.</p><p>     “No, this is bad. He’s not just going to hunt down that one, he’s gonna go after Widowmaker too! Quickly, tell me where he is!” I demanded. “This way I can go after him and make sure no harm comes to him, and that he doesn’t do anything stupid.”</p><p>     “We lost him around the streets of France. He... went radio silent I’ll give you the coordinates.” Angela said suddenly.</p><p>     “But, Angela—” Winston suddenly protested.</p><p>     “No, this is right. We never should have let McCree go alone. He should have had backup, but he insisted that he do this on his own. Damn it, Jesse...” When Angela gave me the coordinates, Lena flew me as close to the location as she could get that would be safe for her and dropped me off.</p><p>     I hugged her tightly.</p><p>     “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon, with that stubborn cowboy safe in hand.” I promised.</p><p>     “Here,” she told me, handing me a small, circular device. “If you get in a spot of trouble, just push the button and it will alert me to come straight to your location and pick you up.” I nodded at her and took off, looking around for McCree. It wasn’t long before the sound of gunfire filled the air. I hid and looked around for the disturbance, moving in the direction of the sounds. I came upon a giant mansion that had decorative statues and elegant decor.</p><p>     I recognised the blast of McCree’s Peacekeeper above all of them, and moved towards it quickly, jumping behind the same statue he was hiding at.</p><p>     “I damn near blew your head off! What the hell are you doin’ here?!” He hissed.</p><p>     “Savin’ your ass, Cowboy. You’re goin’ after both the Reaper and the Widowmaker, aren’t you?” I countered, staring him down. “You are gonna get yourself killed, and you know it. You need a partner. You <em>need </em>me.”</p><p>     “Come out, now, or else!” One of the Talon soldiers said, wielding a rocket launcher. I stared over at McCree.</p><p>     “Have they seen you yet?” I asked him. He shook his head and quick as lightning, I slammed him over the head with my pistol, knocking him out cold. I leaned him up against the statue so that they couldn’t see him and pressed the button on the tracking device, popping it into his pocket.</p><p>     “Alright, I’m comin’ out,” I drawled in his accent, holding my hands above my head and walking towards them, hoping that none of them would loop back around and spot McCree.</p><p>     “Is it just you?” one of them demanded. I groaned.</p><p>     “Of course, it is. How d’ya think I got captured so easily? No backup... I shoulda waited...” They dragged me inside the building and threw me to the ground in front of a big, muscular man with a large, metal arm. I met his gaze with a determined one of my own, and he smirked.</p><p>     “Taking out twelve of my men with nothing but a tiny revolver... Ha! I like you... I am Doomfist, the leader of Talon. Who are you, anyways?” He asked in a thick, African accent.</p><p>     “I’m the one who hacked your system awhile back. (Y/n). Remember me?” I asked him, grinning wildly at him. He scoffed.</p><p>     “Yes, I remember now. Hm, well with skills like yours, we could definitely use you in Talon.” I laughed.</p><p>     “I’ll never join. You’re gonna have to kill me.” I bit back.</p><p>     “Oh? Is that so? Well... it seems as though you’ve been terribly misinformed about what we do here, as well as our real purpose in the world. Tell me, have you ever met Widowmaker? She too was misinformed, but quickly learned about, and accepted, the reality of our organisation.” He pointed at a tall, purple-skinned woman who was standing in the corner of the room, wielding an automatic rifle that quickly transformed into a sniper rifle and shot at me. The bullet grazed my cheek but didn’t injure me any further.</p><p>     “Bonjour,” she called out. I stared at her and instantly, my mind went back to what McCree told me about Amélie being brainwashed into Widowmaker.</p><p><em>     I will not become like her... No matter what, I won</em> <em>’</em> <em>t let it happen. I can</em> <em>’</em> <em>t let my Overwatch family down. I can</em> <em>’</em> <em>t let my gunslinger down... </em></p><p>     “You can try your best, but I’ll never become like her,” I countered, glaring up at Doomfist.</p><p>     “Ah, you’ve got spirit, for sure, but you <em>will </em>succumb. Don’t worry.” He told me, motioning to two of the guards. They carried me upstairs and into a tiny room where I was brutally tortured. When it was over, and I was taking my last breaths, a scientist came in. I recognised her as Dr. Moira O’Deorain. She used a device that poured a golden light onto me and healed me instantly. The torture went on for hours and hours and just when I thought I would succumb, I would think of McCree, the way he said my name, called me Mustang, and held me in his arms.</p><p>     “Still with us?” A growling, metallic voice rasped. My vision was blurry. I turned my head to see a man in a mask who was cloaked in black. I blinked my eyes and realised this was the same Talon member who tried to kill me back at my job, where this all began.</p><p>     I spat at the floor and growled, “Yeah, I am. You gonna kill me now? Or are you just bettin’ you’ll bore me to death with all your talkin’?” He swiped a clawed hand across my face and then several times more across my body. The searing pain was intense, but I thought about Jesse and somehow was able to hang onto my sanity. They made the speakers in the room I was in spout Anti-Overwatch propaganda. I tried to think of Jesse’s voice, but it had been hours since I heard it last. Had it been over a day now? I struggled to remember how long I had been there enduring so much pain and suffering.</p><p>     “Overwatch should have been disbanded long ago. Its organisation is full of criminals who have done terrible things.” The speakers called out to me.</p><p><em>     No... that</em><em>’</em><em>s not right... They</em><em>’</em><em>re... my friends... My... family...</em> I fought back.</p><p>     “Overwatch hired known criminals, such as Jesse McCree, 2<sup>nd</sup> in command of the Deadlock Rebels, who has an outstanding bounty of $60,000,000 for robbery, murder, weapons trafficking and many other heinous crimes. Our duty as members of Talon is to purge the world of this great evil. Destroy Overwatch.” It droned on.</p><p><em>     But Jesse... he</em> <em>’</em> <em>s my... I lo</em> <em>—</em></p><p>     “It’s been quite awhile since you had your last meal, would you like something to eat?” A friendly voice called out to me, tearing me away from my thoughts. It was a woman in her mid to late thirties that had a somewhat thick Mexican accent. She was wearing some sort of Cybernetic-looking suit that attached to her hands, and even her head. She smiled sweetly at me.</p><p>     “Y-yes, please.”</p><p>     “I'm Sombra. In order for me to get you some food, I need for you to say what our duty is as members of Talon. That's all you have to do! Just that tiny, little thing,” she pressed, smiling and holding up a finger with a long, purple cybernetic nail attached to it.</p><p>     “I— Talon wants... To destroy everything that I hold dear!” I protested. Sombra clicked her tongue at me and shook her head chidingly.</p><p>     “Gabe,” she called out, stepping out of the room. The man in the black cloak with the strange skeletal mask came back and he shot at me with a shotgun and scratched me again with his claws.</p><p>     “Our duty as members of Talon is to purge the world of this great evil. Destroy Overwatch.”</p><p><em>     No. </em>His claws swiped across my stomach, completely disembowelling me. I was healed.</p><p>     “Destroy Overwatch.”</p><p><em>     No. </em>He shot me in all four limbs and I was repaired once more.</p><p>     “Destroy Overwatch.”</p><p><em>     N-no...</em> He slammed me in the face with the butt of his gun and shot me in the stomach until my organs were destroyed. I was healed.</p><p>     “Destroy Overwatch.”</p><p><em>     Jesse...Help...I don</em> <em>’</em> <em>t know how much longer...</em></p><p>     I reached up into the air, seeing a handsome, rugged Cowboy that no one else could. Reaper slowly and methodically sliced off part of my arm with his claws. I lost count of how many times I had screamed, how many times the lady, Sombra, had asked me to tell her Talon’s duty, of how many times I had fought back, of what day it was, of how long I had been there. My limbs had been destroyed and then healed and my body had been broken and repaired, but the pain lingered, getting worse and worse each time.</p><p>     “Destroy Overwatch.” The speaker ordered.</p><p>     “D-Des...Destroy...” I uttered, despite myself. Reaper paused and Sombra urged me to continue.</p><p>     “Destroy Overwatch,” I relented.</p><p>     "Good, girl. Ay, pobrecita... see what happens when you listen to Talon? We take care of our own. We'll take care of you too." Sombra gave me a nice warm meal and sat down with me to have a chat. She was nice, and we had a lovely conversation. In no time flat, I was standing in front of Doomfist.</p><p>     “What is our duty, (y/n)?” He demanded.</p><p>     “Our duty as members of Talon is to purge the world of the evil that is Overwatch.” I answered him without hesitation.</p><p>     “Very good. And... if you have any doubts, (y/n), there’s always the realisation that Overwatch left you to die. They assumed we would just kill you for attacking us, but no. We would never do that. We are openly seeking out more people to join our cause. You understand why we had to do what we did, right?” He cooed.</p><p>     “Yes, sir.” I answered. “I loved all of Overwatch, or so I thought, but I was a fool. No one is ever coming to save me, but I don’t need saving. I need revenge. They abandoned me and betrayed me. Now, I will destroy them all!” I vowed, stamping my foot down.</p><p>     “Good. Then, I believe you are ready to become one of us.” He motioned to Sombra, who came over and pinned a badge on me. It sported Talon’s symbol in black, red, and white, a “T” in the shape of a talon of some sort of bird of prey. I shook my head, remembering someone doing the same thing before...</p><p><em>     When was that?</em> A voice sounded in my head. <em>“</em><em>You</em><em>’</em><em>re one of us now, hero.</em><em>”</em> My mind flew back to when Lena placed my Overwatch pin on my chest.</p><p>     I dismissed the thought. I was with Talon now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Overwatch is owned by Blizzard! Duhhhhh. However, I own this story and had a lot of fun writing it. I hope you all enjoy it! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     I bowed, thankful for the honour of being granted Talon member status. Then, Sombra handed me back my gun, The Quieter. I stared at it pensively, something stirring inside of me.</p><p>     A voice calling out to me, <em>“</em><em>Use it wisely, and don</em><em>’</em><em>t aim it at anyone unless you plan on pullin</em><em>’</em><em> that trigger.</em><em>”</em> I shook it out of my head.</p><p>     “Get some rest, (y/n). We will have much use for you tomorrow,” Doomfist finished. I followed Sombra to our shared bedroom and we talked about our mission tomorrow to infiltrate an old Overwatch base and get some intel on the members. Then, we went to sleep, but I brought my gun back out, staring at it and caressing it as if trying to memorise its form.</p><p>     The same voice called out to me, a distant memory, <em>“</em><em>I just was curious about how strong you</em><em>’</em><em>d gotten inside and out. Now, you believe in yourself, (y/n). That</em><em>’</em><em>s somethin</em><em>’</em><em> to be real proud of.</em><em>”</em> I groaned and clutched my head, pain intensifying.</p><p>     “You okay, (y/n)?” Sombra asked sleepily.</p><p>     “N-no... something is wrong with me...” I admitted.</p><p>     “Hey, it’ll be alright. Okay, Chica? Dija me... what is Talon’s duty?”</p><p>     I took a quivering breath and slowly and emphatically said through gritted teeth, “Our duty as members of Talon is to purge the world of the evil that is Overwatch.” I felt much better and the voice was gone. I quickly put away my gun and thanked Sombra.</p><p>     “Just remember to say our motto anytime you feel like you’re slipping. It will help. Trust me.” She advised me. I nodded and fell into a peaceful sleep. Then, the alarms blared. I jumped up out of bed and threw on my outfit. My hat went on last, and I ran my fingers across the rim of it by instinct.</p><p>
  <em>     When had I done that before?</em>
</p><p><em>     “</em><em>Slow down there, Mustang, we still got time.</em><em>”</em> I shook my head and hit it once with my hand, growling in frustration.</p><p>     “Come on, they need us,” I told Sombra, waking her up with a gentle hand. She stirred and got dressed quickly, but I took off ahead of her, running in to see what all the fuss was about. A bunch of Talon operative grunts had a handsome, rugged, Gunslinger cornered. His hair swayed as they kicked his legs out from under him and brought him to his knees, his hands behind his back. I walked up and stood about ten feet in front of him and his gaze met mine. Just like with the Quieter, something about him made my head ache badly. Pain tore through it as the two sides of me clashed together, fighting for dominance.</p><p>     <em>"You look beautiful, Mustang."</em></p><p>     Doomfist walked out and stood nearby me.</p><p>     "Is everything alright, (y/n)?" he demanded, smiling at me with a knowing expression on his face.</p><p>     “Of course," I said, straightening myself up, "Shall I dispose of him, sir?” </p><p>     “Yes, that is McCree, after all. The second most wanted criminal out there, and a former Blackwatch Agent. We’ve been looking for him for a long time. Do it, and you’ll be rich, (y/n). We will spin the story and make you a hero in the public's eyes for taking down such a filthy outlaw.”</p><p>     McCree chuckled and smiled at me. “Thought you didn’t care much for money, Mustang.” I shivered at the sound of the name he called me but drew my pistol and aimed it at his head. The voice rang again inside of my head.</p><p><em>     “</em><em>Use it wisely, and don</em><em>’</em><em>t aim it at anyone unless you plan on pullin</em><em>’</em><em> that trigger.</em><em>”</em> I shivered once more and cocked the gun.</p><p>     “Guess you plan on pullin’ that there trigger. Well... I can’t say I’m surprised. It did take me forever to get here to rescue ya. I’m sorry...” He admitted solemnly.</p><p>     <em>"</em><em>You oughta know by now, Darlin’ that wranglin’ Mustangs is what Cowboys do best,"</em> his voice sounded again inside of her head and she gritted her teeth as the pain began to be almost unbearable.</p><p>     “I don’t need rescuin’," I gaped slightly at the drawl that came out of me before steeling my nerves. "Talon has given me far more than I could’ve ever imagined,” I spat in protest.</p><p>     “Yeah okay, but... do you <em>trust </em>‘em?” I stared at him, unsure of what to say. Then, he added, “Do you trust <em>me</em>, (y/n)?”</p><p>     I was flooded with memories of us training together and how he said that exact line before he turned against me and pinned me to the ground.</p><p><em>     “</em><em>The moment you drop your bluff is the moment you die, remember that.</em><em>”</em> The cowboy’s voice sounded in my head again, a memory crying out, more alive than before.</p><p>     “Overwatch... was always meant to be disbanded. Its organisation... is full... of criminals who have done terrible things. You are one of them, Jesse McCree!” I spouted some of the propaganda, steadying my shaking hand.</p><p>     “You don’t really believe that, do ya?” He asked me, a hint of worry in his voice and in his eyes. I didn’t answer him, and instead, I kept talking.</p><p>     “Our duty... as members of Talon... is to purge the world of this great evil.”</p><p>     “You think Mercy, Winston, Brigitte, Reinhardt, D.Va, Mei, Lucio, Genji, and Hanzo are all evil?! You think I’m evil?! Do ya?!” he cried out desperately. I could see tears forming in his eyes as he stared down the barrel of my gun.</p><p>     “Destroy Overwatch,” I called out, pulling the trigger.</p><p>     The shot rang out and time seemingly slowed down as I watched the bullet go right past McCree's head and hit the mainframe’s power circuits. The lights flickered off and I raced over, grabbed the cowboy, secured his gun and showed him the way out.</p><p>     “Find them, now!” Doomfist roared behind us. I led the confused cowboy all the way to the main exit and we got out with very little resistance. A guard crossed my path and I knocked him out, slamming the butt of my gun into his head. The lights turned back on.</p><p>     “Damn it!” I heard McCree curse as we were surrounded by men. “Hey, (y/n).” He called.</p><p>     “What?”</p><p>     “You know what time it is?” he asked me, grinning.</p><p>     “High Noon, looks like,” I encouraged him, groaning at his lame joke. I took a deep breath and embraced the warmth of McCree’s back against mine as I stared down the guys in front of me.</p><p>     Then, both of us yelled, “Draw!” It was as though I saw them all, all of their weak points lit up like a flare, and I fired my gun at superhuman speed, taking them all out. All six of them dropped dead by my hand. It wasn’t my first time killing another person, but I didn’t embrace it. I felt cold and disconnected from the world.</p><p>     I let out a shaky breath and McCree turned around, jaw dropping in shock as he saw what I had done.</p><p>     “You just... How? I never taught you that...” he demanded.</p><p>     “I... I don’t know. I just thought of you and... AGH!” I cut off as a searing pain rang through my head. The loudspeakers in the base began playing the Talon propaganda, and it was rousing the brainwashed side of me.</p><p>     “Our duty... as members of... Talon...” I started, fighting against it. The more I fought it, the more pain I felt inside of my head.</p><p>     “Lena, where are you? We’re almost at the gates!” McCree yelled into his communications device. He grabbed me and rushed me out. I forced my legs to keep moving as I clutched my throbbing head.</p><p>     “When we... get out... tie me up... If you don’t... you’re as good... as... dead.” I groaned, trying my best to warn him. “I’m just like... Amélie...”</p><p>     “No, you’re not...” He choked. I looked up at him and saw his eyes watering now. The cowboy had lost his nerve and was on the verge of tears. “You’re stronger than she is; than she ever was.”</p><p>     “Careful... Cowboy... The moment you drop your bluff... is the moment you die,” I warned him, letting out a weak and raspy laugh. Finally, after what seemed like forever, we were outside the main gates. I fell to the ground, too weak to move, and McCree lifted me into his arms, still running, as Overwatch’s giant hovercraft dove in and scooped us up. I now shook violently and clutched my head. Angela was right by my side, and she caressed my face with her warm hand. I screamed and writhed in agony, throwing my revolver as far away from me as possible.</p><p>     “Tie me up, McCree! Do it! Now!” I bellowed, but McCree wasn’t there. Instead, Winston carefully restrained me, moving elegantly so he didn’t break any of my bones.</p><p>     “Our duty as... members of Talon is to... purge... the world... of the evil that is Overwatch!” I screamed involuntarily, as I struggled against my bonds.</p><p>     “I’m so sorry, (y/n)... We will get you back, I promise.” Angela soothed, injecting me with something that put me to sleep as she scanned me and healed me with her Caduceus staff.</p><p>     All went black. I woke up in a white room. It was the Overwatch medical bay.</p><p>     “Was it all... just a dream...? A nightmare?” I groaned and struggled against my bonds before I realised it was all too real.</p><p><em>     I</em><em> really aimed my gun at McCree...?</em> Tears streamed down my cheeks and I let out a series of loud sobs as the pain and the memory of everything hit me all at once. Suddenly, the metal clamps that held my arms down released and let me go. I rolled off the table and fell to my knees.</p><p>     “No! No! You can’t release me! I’ll kill you all!” I screamed loudly. Suddenly, a very soothing voice came out over the communications systems.</p><p>     “(Y/N), I am Tekhartha Zenyatta, and I am here to guide you to your spiritual awakening. I understand that your mind has been poisoned by Talon, is that correct?”</p><p>     I stared in awe at the open air and answered, “Yes. They made me want to kill everyone I love. Everyone at Overwatch.”</p><p>     “Well then, you should be aware that I am not from Overwatch. Nor am I with Talon. I have come to help you find peace. Do you accept my help?” He asked me. I searched my mind. I had no reason to do him any harm.</p><p>     “Yes. Please, help me.” I called out to him. Suddenly, an Omnic appeared to me, levitating in a position of meditation.</p><p>     “You’re an... Omnic...” I pointed out.</p><p>     “Quite right, how observant of you," he said in a sarcastic tone of voice. "I am an Omnic Monk from the Shambali Monastery.”</p><p>     “S-so you don’t believe in violence?” I demanded.</p><p>     “I did not say that. Sometimes, a situation may call for chaos, as opposed to harmony. The time shared between you and I though, is one of peace and blessings, for we are both one within the Iris. Now then, come join me in meditation.” He beckoned me.</p><p>     <em>The... Iris...? What the hell is that?</em></p><p>     I slowly and hesitantly walked over to him, sat down in front of him, and stared at him.</p><p>     “So... umm, how do we do this? Do we go “ooom” or what?” I asked him curiously.</p><p>     “Just focus on your breathing and calm your mind. Empty it completely and then focus on that empty space. You will know when you have awakened, and I will help you to that stage.” I closed my eyes, peeking occasionally at Zenyatta to make sure he didn’t try anything funny, but then I finally allowed myself to relax as I felt he wasn’t a threat.</p><p><em>     There have been better attempts on my life than an Omnic monk in the past week. I think I can trust him. Besides... if he does end up killing me, then I</em><em>’</em><em>ll die, and my friends will be safe.</em> I rationalised, focusing on my breathing. I could feel myself relaxing now and my body felt as though it was going to melt into the floor.</p><p>     “Good, you are now relaxed... Now, I want you to focus on your friends. See their faces, remember the good times and the bad you’ve shared with them. Remember,” Zenyatta urged me. I saw all of my friends from Overwatch, but the Talon propaganda started up again.</p><p>     “Our duty as members of Talon... is to purge the world of the evil that is Overwatch,” I murmured involuntarily. “I can’t do it, Zenyatta.” Tears streamed down my face as I began to give up my internal battle.</p><p>     “Then allow me to help you. Experience Tranquillity,” he declared. Suddenly, there was a vibrant warmth flowing through me and a bright, golden light that shone behind my eyelids. I peeked my eyes open and Zenyatta was glowing as brightly as the sun, or so it seemed. I focused on my friends again and yearned to be with them; to play games with D.Va, to talk to Lena, to see what Brigitte was working on next in the hangar, to listen to Lucio’s latest album, to encourage Hanzo as he tried to make amends with Genji, to joke around with Genji about McCree, to thank Angela for everything she had done for me, to taste Reinhardt’s amazing cooking, and to apologise to McCree for letting him down.</p><p>     “I’m sorry, Cowboy... I let you down worst of all...” I told him, reaching up and out. I knew I wouldn’t touch him, but it was wishful thinking.</p><p>     “You didn’t let me down. The only way you could is if you stopped fightin’ and I didn’t train ya to do that, now did I?” His voice sounded over the comm systems.</p><p>     I let out a gasp of joyous laughter and smiled, tears streaming down my face as I admitted, “They spent days torturing me, but I didn’t want to give in. I tried so hard to fight it. I thought of you and everyone else and how much I loved you all. I thought about being in your arms again and drinking that sweet Tennessee Honey, and taking a nice long bath...”</p><p>     “Believe me, I want that too, Mustang,” he answered.</p><p>     “Hey, Cowboy,” I called out to him.</p><p>     “Hmm?”</p><p>     “Promise me somethin’, wouldja?”</p><p>     “What is it?”</p><p>     I took a deep breath in as I demanded, “Don’t go solo on a mission like that again, especially for revenge like I know you did. I couldn’t bear to lose you...Please, could you promise me you won’t? I won’t stop worryin’ till ya do.”</p><p>     I heard him sigh and he told me, “I promise, (y/n).” I opened my eyes and looked around but saw no one except for me and Zenyatta. Still, I could feel Jesse’s presence nearby, and I walked to where he was in the middle of the room. I didn’t reach out to touch him, I just smiled at him brightly and thanked him. It took a week and a half to recondition my mind. Zenyatta would bring me food and McCree and all of the others would come and talk to me every day. Even Mei came by to chat with me a few times.</p><p>     “I’m sorry I haven’t really gotten to know you very well, but... if you get better soon and return to us, I’ll make you the best ice cream you’ve ever tasted!” She promised me.</p><p>     “Alright, sounds like a plan.”</p><p>     It was determined I was ready to leave the virtual world I was in when I listened to the Talon propaganda and successfully fought against it. The day the recording played, and I felt absolutely nothing towards it, I cried tears of happiness and hugged Zenyatta, much to his surprise.</p><p>     “Oops, sorry!” I quickly apologised.</p><p>     “It is quite alright. I am overjoyed to see that you are once again at one with yourself. It was a pleasure having you as a student. Did you know that Genji was also a student of mine?” I nodded at him.</p><p>     “Yeah, Genji has spoken about you in the past. He said you were the reason he was in harmony with both the Human and Machine parts of him. I’m sorry, it didn’t click until just now. I had forgotten your name. Thank you, Master Zenyatta.” I bowed to him and he bowed back.</p><p>     “Athena,” I heard my cowboy say, “end program.” The entire scenery around me shifted and transformed into an empty practice room, and the doors opened to reveal McCree standing there, staring at me with fear, hesitation, and longing in his eyes.</p><p>     I took a few hesitant steps towards him before speeding up into a sprint, tears running down my cheeks and flying off my face, as I jumped into his arms, kissing him with no reservations. He kissed me back and then pressed our foreheads together.</p><p>     “I missed you so much,” I murmured, running my hands through his hair before wrapping them around his back. It all still felt like a dream and I was afraid I would wake up any minute and find myself inside of a new nightmare.</p><p>     “Same here. I... honestly wasn’t sure if I’d ever get to... to hold you again like this,” he choked. He put me down and I looked him in the eyes. He was crying as he smiled at me.</p><p>     “Hey... I’m back, Cowboy.” I told him, wiping his tears away, pressing my lips against his, and giving him a huge smile. We held each other like that for a few minutes until we were able to process things and get our emotions under control.</p><p>     “Well, it’s mighty nice to have you back, Mustang. Let’s go get us a bite to eat. It’s lunch time, after all and I’m sure everyone will want to see ya,” McCree finally told me, returning my smile.</p><p>     “Sounds great. Also, McCree...?” I called to him, turning him back around to face me.</p><p>     “Hmm?”</p><p>     This time, I lost my cool completely as I yelled in a thick Southern accent, “If you ever put yerself in harm’s way like that for revenge <em>ever </em>again, I will beat the ever lovin’ shit outta you and then make you beg for Mercy from me, which you will <em>not</em> receive! Is that clear?!” I drawled unintentionally.</p><p>     Then, I quickly turned back to Zenyatta and bowed.</p><p>     “Namaste,” I told him.</p><p>     A “hmm...” of disappointment was all Zenyatta had to offer in response. McCree stared at me slack-jawed and then nodded at me slowly, beginning to laugh.</p><p>     “Wow, I daresay you just went full-on Black Hat on me.” But then his joking demeanour disappeared and was replaced with one that was sorrowful and serious. “Honestly, if I had just filled you in on what I was doin’, you’d never have ended up in that position. They would have never been able to get their hands on you. I’m so sorry, (y/n)...” He apologised profusely, taking his hat off and placing it on his chest as the tears dripped out of the corners of his eyes.</p><p>     I wiped them away and shushed him softly as I took in a deep breath and explained, “Even if you did tell me, I would’ve insisted on goin’ with you. Nothin’ coulda stopped me. We’d have both been captured, or just me because I woulda knocked you out to save your life either way, and I would do it all over again just for you. It’s not your fault. Just remember that you and I are stronger together than apart. Do you trust me?”</p><p>     I placed my hand over his heart and he smiled and responded, “Yeah, I do.”</p><p>     We both walked arm-in-arm to the dining hall, my head resting against his arm as we walked. I stopped in my tracks just before we entered the hall and froze in fear.</p><p>     “I’m afraid...” I admitted to him softly, slumping to the ground.</p><p>     He held me in his arms and told me, “Don’t be, you’re among friends, and there’s nothin’ here that can hurt you.”</p><p>     “No, I’m afraid of hurting <em>them</em>... Before, there were targets painted on all of their faces. I don’t see it with you at all, but... I’m worried I’ll see it on the others,” I fretted.</p><p>     “Hey now, ain’t no use worryin’ ‘bout stuff that hasn’t happened yet,” he told me, smiling and stroking my hair. He lifted me to my feet and helped me in. As I rounded the corner, looked up at all of their bright, smiling faces, and heard them cheer my name in joyous cacophony, I knew I was finally home. Talon had lost, for I was reunited with my family; the people I loved. I smiled back at them as the tears ran down my face. Everyone came over and hugged me tightly, welcoming me home.</p><p>     <em>Home... it's everything I ever wanted.</em> I recalled the first moment I entered the dining area with everyone and was threatened by the handsome gunslinger I came to love. Back then, I hadn't been used to everyone eating together as a family, but now, I yearned for it.</p><p>     After dinner, I leaned over to McCree and grabbed his arm.</p><p>     “Hey, you wanna head to bed? I’m feelin’ a bit tired right about now,” I hinted. He smiled at me and stroked my face with his right hand.</p><p>     “Sure thing.” He took me by the arm and walked with me to the bedroom. As he held the door open for me, and I stepped inside I realised just how happy I was to be back.</p><p>     “Hey, (y/n)...” he called. I turned around to face him, and he smiled radiantly at me now as he told me, “I was wrong before... A while back you asked me if I was just seducin’ you for the hell of it or if it actually meant somethin’, and I told you that we were just havin’ a good time and that I was better off alone." He scoffed and shook his head at the ground. "I was wrong... If anything this mission proved that. It was my fault that you got captured."</p><p>     "No, McCree, you can't bl—"</p><p>      "Now hang on, I ain't finished yet..." He took a deep breath and continued, "Our time together has meant more than you know to me. I wanted to ask you if you’d consider bein’... mine. <em>My</em> Mustang,” he proposed, staring at me with big, warm, anxious brown eyes.</p><p>     I smiled up at him, walked over and kissed him passionately.</p><p>     “Looks like your Mustang just became a Mare. I’m yours, Cowboy,” I promised him. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me tenderly, his hands pressing me into him in a warm embrace as our lips danced together. I was officially home, safe in his arms, feeling happy and loved. The next day, we took things slow as we returned to our normal training routine. I still didn’t feel safe holding my own gun, and McCree respected that, letting me hold one filled with blanks instead.</p><p>     Zenyatta stuck around for awhile during our training, just in case things went awry, but after seeing me the entire day, he realised it was time to take his leave.</p><p>     “I must go now, my pupil,” he informed me, bowing his head to me. I bowed back.</p><p>     "Won't you stay, Master Zenyatta? You've seen what Talon can do! We need to fight them, and we could use your help," I pleaded.</p><p>     "As much as you may need me, there are others out there in the world who need me even more and I must seek them out," he responded wisely.</p><p>     “Thank you for everything. I will try my best to remember how to find my own inner peace during the dark times.” Zenyatta laughed and extended his fist to me. I smiled and bumped it with mine.</p><p>     “You can do it if you believe you can, my student.”</p><p>     “Master!” Genji called behind us, running straight for us. “Are you leaving so soon?”</p><p>     “Yes, Genji. I have to return to Nepal and continue my work with the other monks. It was wonderful seeing you again though. May our paths cross again,” he said in farewell, bowing to both of us.</p><p>     “May our paths cross again,” Genji and I said in unison, bowing back to our Master.</p><p>     “I guess this makes us siblings now, huh Genji?” I jested, punching his shoulder.</p><p>     He let out a chuckle and confirmed, “もちろん、妹。” “<em>Of course, little sister.” </em>He ruffled my hair with his metal hand and I laughed and punched him in the chest.</p><p>     “Hey, y/n, come over here, wouldja? I need to fill you in on some stuff,” McCree drawled. I waved a goodbye to Genji and rushed over to my handsome gunslinger, saluting in front of him. “So, while you were... indisposed, some things happened...” I listened intently now, dropping all of my silliness as I focused on his words.</p><p>     “We had a mission that nearly went South... Genji, Hanzo, Winston, Lena, and Angela all went to Eco-Point Antarctica to protect the base from Talon. We thought they wanted to extract information from the Mainframe, so we defended it. Genji got pretty badly knocked in the head, but he’s fine now. Winston got pretty torn up as well as Hanzo. Still, we defended it, but now we’re waiting for Talon to retaliate. They’re gonna strike again, it’s just the matter o’ when.”</p><p>     I glared at him in determination.</p><p>     "Talon's goal may be to purge the world of Overwatch, but my own goal is to kick their ass. I'm ready," I told him, balling my fists.</p><p>     As he grinned back at me, narrowing his eyes, and pulled me into a warm hug, I knew I would have to train harder than ever before so I could protect him and everyone else.</p><p>     <em>Talon will regret the moment they decided to fuck with me and my family. I'll hunt down every last one of them.</em></p>
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